THE TENCH. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE TENCH AND BARBEL. 



THE tench is a handsome < thick fish, of a greenish yellow colour, 

 with a peculiarly greasy slippery skin. His form and appearance 

 give one the idea of great richness and delicacy ; and, indeed, when 

 pror.erly cooked he is really a very delicious fish. 



Tench are found in nearly all parts of Europe, but only in lakes, 

 marais, ponds, and weedy rivers, where there is little or no current. 

 They prefer stagnant muddy waters to any other; and during the 

 severity of the winter, like eels, they bury themselves in the mud. 

 In the hot days of summer and autumn, they are to be seen bask- 

 ing and floundering about under the large leaves of the water-lily ; 

 and in the deep etangs in the marais in continental countries we 

 have seen them wallowing about in shoals amongst the weeds and 

 lilies, beneath the hot burning sun, apparently regardless of our 

 boat until we could almost touch them. 



These fish spawn late in the spring, or early in the summer, 

 according to the lateness or forwardness of the season, and seek 

 the most secluded and weedy places, clogged up, as it were, with 

 vegetation, to deposit their eggs, which are of a greenish colour 

 and very small. They are wondrously prolific, ^and increase 

 prodigiously if undisturbed. In a female, weighing about 

 three pounds and a half, there were counted more than 297,000 



When particularly well nurtured, and in a favourable situation, 

 the tench will occasionally attain a weight of seven or eight 

 jDOunds. This, however, is of rare occurrence, for although the 

 fish grows very fast, he will seldom be found to exceed two or 

 three pounds. 



Like carp, tench are extremely tenacious of life, and may be 

 carried very long journeys in wet grass, without the slightest fear 

 of losing them. 



Many medicinal properties have been attributed to the tench 

 but who will vouchsafe for their authority and truth ? It has been 

 credited, that when cut into pieces and placed on the soles of the 

 feet, his flesh will overcome the virulence of the plague, and dissi- 

 pate the heat in the fiercest fevers ; that, when applied alive to the 

 brow, he will relieve pains in the head ; that, planted on the nape 

 of the neck, he will allay inflammations in the eyes ; and that, when 

 held in contact with the lower part of the body, he will effectually 

 cure the jaundice. 



