THE FOURTH DAY. 



CHAP. X- Observations of the BREAM, and Directions to catch 



him. 



PlSCATOR. 



'"THE Bream, being at a full growth, is a large and stately 

 fish. He will breed both in rivers and ponds ; but loves 

 best to live in ponds, and where, if he likes the water and air, 

 he will grow not only to be very large, but as fat as a hog. He 

 is by Gesner taken to be more pleasant, or sweet, than whole- 

 some : this fish is long in growing, but breeds exceedingly in 

 a water that pleases him ; yea, in many ponds so fast as to 

 over-store them, and starve the other fish. 



He is very broad, with a forked tail, and his scales set in ex- 

 cellent order : he hath large eyes, and a narrow sucking mouth ; 

 he hath two sets of teeth, and a lozenge-like bone, a bone to 

 kelp his grinding. The melter is observed to have two large 

 melts, and the female two large bags of eggs or spawn. 



Gesner reports, that in Poland a certain and a great number 

 of large Breams were put into a pond, which in the next fol- 

 lowing winter were frozen up into one entire ice, and not one 

 drop of water remaining, nor one of these fish to be found, 

 though they were diligently searched for ; and yet the next 

 spring, when the ice was thawed, and the weather warm, and 

 fresh water got into the pond, he affirms they all appeared 

 again. This Gesner affirms, and I quote my author, because 

 it seems almost as incredible as the resurrection to an atheist. 

 But it may win something in point of believing it, to him that 

 considers the breeding or renovation of the silk-worm, and of 

 many insects. And that is considerable which Sir Francis 



