84 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 



fear of depopulating the pond. The fly used, 

 be it recorded, was the tiniest artificial black-gnat. 



Rather resembling the minnow in general con- 

 tour, the back of the bleak is iridescent green, 

 the rest bright silver, with fins white. Add to 

 this a metallic lustre over all, and it will be seen 

 that the bleak is a beautiful fish. Whether in 

 still or running water, bleak are found in shoals, 

 and being omnivorous feeders they are among 

 the scavengers of the waters. They take almost 

 anything that comes down-stream, and are not 

 unfrequently found at the mouths of sewers. 



Considerable interest attaches to bleak from 

 the fact that artificial pearls are made from their 

 scales. Fifty years ago the French were great 

 purchasers of bleak scales from the Thames 

 fishermen, but now the former supply themselves 

 from their own rivers. Besides the enormous 

 quantity of these pearls used in France, the value 

 of their export is over one million francs. " The 

 art of making imitation pearls is ascribed to 

 one Jacquin, a chaplet and rosary manufacturer, 

 at Passey, 1680. Noticing the water after 

 cleaning some white fish (Leuciscus alburnus), 

 a species of dace, he gradually collected the 

 sediment, and with this substance (to which he 

 gave the name of essence d 'orient] and with a 

 thin glue made of parchment, he lined the glass 



