CHAP. XII. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 161 



(says Rondeletius,) than other parts : and have in their 

 brain a stone, which is, in foreign parts, sold by apothe- 

 caries, being there noted to be very medicinable against 

 the stone in the reins. These be a part of the commen- 

 dations which some philosophical brains have bestowed 

 upon the freshwater-Pearch : yet they commend the Sea- 

 Pearch, which is known, by having but one fin on his 

 back, (of which they say we English see but a few) to be 

 a much better fish. 



The Pearch grows slowly, yet will grow, as I have been 

 credibly informed, to be almost two feet long ; for an 

 honest informer told me, such a one was not long since 

 taken by Sir Abraham Williams, (a gentleman of worth, 

 and a brother of the angle, that yet lives, and I wish he 

 may:) this was a deep-bodied fish, and doubtless durst 

 have devoured a Pike of half his own length. For I have 

 told you, he is a bold fish ; such a one as but for extreme 

 hunger the Pike will not devour. For to affright the Pike, 

 and save himself, the Pearch will set up his fins, much 

 like as a turkey-cock will sometimes set up his tail. 



But, my scholar, the Pearch is not only valiant to defend 

 himself, but he is, as I said, a bold-biting fish : yet he will 

 not bite at all seasons of the year ; he is very abstemious 

 in winter, yet will bite then in the midst of the day, if it 

 be warm : and note, that all fish bite best about the midst 

 of a warm day in winter. And he hath been observed, 

 by some, not usually to bite till the mulberry-tree buds ; 

 that is to say, till extreme frosts be past the spring ; for, 

 when the mulberry-tree blossoms, many gardeners observe 

 their forward fruit to be past the danger of frosts ; and 

 some have made the like observation of the Pearch's 

 siting. 



But bite the Pearch will, and that very boldly. And, 

 .s one has wittily observed, if there be twenty or forty in 



hole, they may be, at one standing, all catched one 



