

PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 491 



olive-green, deepest in shade at the ridge, and growing 

 gradually lighter in hue as it approaches the belly, which is 

 white, with a faint green tinge ; transverse broad black bars, 

 pointing downwards, mark his shapely sides, while the ven- 

 tral fins are a glowing scarlet, the tail and anal fins being 

 of a like colour, though a shade paler." The distinguishing 

 characteristic of the perch is his formidable dorsal fin, and 

 armed as it is with very long and spinous rays, it makes him 

 at all times an antagonist well capable of taking care of 

 himself. " It would be just as well, if an angler is fortunate 

 enough to get hold of a big, lusty fellow, to see that this 

 saw-like fin is carefully smoothed down before gripping him 

 to take the hook out, for I have known instances where a 

 man's hand has been badly cut through incautious handling, 

 and it is sometimes difficult to heal. They are thoroughly 

 gregarious in their habits, herding together, and remaining 

 for a long time, unless disturbed, in the same situation. I 

 have watched them repeatedly when the water has been 

 clear in a deep hole, and the larger fish always seem to 

 claim and keep precedence over the smaller. Where such 

 a hole is found, if the tenants thereof are in a feeding 

 humour, it is just as likely that if the angler is wary and 

 noiseless, and hooks and lands them, he may take every 

 fish out of it. Prick, and hold one for an instant, and then 

 let him escape, the probabilities are that every one of the 

 shoal will follow their frightened fellow then, one may 

 just as well try somewhere else. 



Perch are found nearly everywhere, all our English 

 rivers containing them Thames, Trent, Severn and Wye 

 alike holding plenty of this game fish, while the-Loddon 

 is famous for bouncers, and nearly all the great inland 

 waters of Britain, meres and lakes, are well stocked. 

 Instances have been quoted to show that they have 



