128 VERTEBRATA. PISCES. 



and had hooked a large fish at the time when some 

 Londoners with their horses were passing ; they 

 congratulated him on his success, and got out of the 

 ferry boat, but, finding the fish not likely to yield, 

 mounted their horses and rode off. The fact was, 

 that, angling for small fish, his bait had been taken 

 by a Barbel, too big for the fisher to manage. Not 

 caring to risk his tackle by attempting to raise him, 

 he hoped to tire him, and to that end, suffered him- 

 self to be led (to use his own expression) as a blind 

 man is by his dog, several yards up, and as many down 

 the bank of the river, in short, for so many hours, 

 that the horsemen above-mentioned, (who had been 

 at Walthamstow, and dined,) were returned ; who 

 seeing him thus occupied, cried out, ' What, master, 

 another large fish ? ' ( No,' says Piscator, ' it is 

 the very same.' ' Nay,' says one of them, ' that 

 can never be ; for it is five hours since we crossed 

 the river.' And not believing him, they rode on 

 their way. At length our angler determined to do 

 that which a less patient one would have done long 

 before ; he made one vigorous effort to land his fish, 

 broke his tackle and lost him !"* 



Slightly differing, except in unimportant particu- 

 lars, from the Carps, are our well-known river fish, the 

 Gudgeon, (Gobio Fluviatilis,} the Bream, (Abramis 

 Brama,) and the Tench, (Tinea Vulgaris,} concern- 

 ing the last of which the following interesting notice 

 is given in Daniell's Rural Sports : 



* P. 290. 



