66 THE ANGLER-NATURALIST. 



swim in large shoals. Their spawning-season is at the 

 end of April or the beginning of May ; and so prolific are 

 they, that a specimen weighing half a pound has been 

 found to contain 280,000 ova. The eggs are deposited in 

 strings which hang about the weeds and rocks, and when 

 seen through a bright sunlight present a beautiful appear- 

 ance, almost resembling festoons of pearls. 



Of the Perch family only two fresh-water species are 

 known to exist in this country the common Perch, and 

 the Ruffe or Pope. Deformed Perch are, however, by no 

 means uncommon both in England and on the Continent. 

 Sir John Richardson has given us an interesting -account of 

 some of these, which I shall take the liberty of quoting. 

 ' ' A deformed variety of Perch, with the back greatly ele- 

 vated, the tail distorted, and bearing the local name of 

 Rudaborre, was noticed by Linnaeus at Fahlun, in Sweden ; 

 and similar monstrosities occur at Elgsjon in Ostrogothia, 

 and in other lakes in the North of Europe. Deformed 

 Perch are also found in Llyn Raithlyn, in Merionethshire. 

 Such a fish is figured in the volume of Daniel's ' Rural 

 Sports ' devoted to Fishing and Shooting, p. 247. Perch 

 almost entirely white inhabit the waters of particular soils ; 

 and I am indebted to the kindness of G. S. Foljambe, Esq., 

 of Osberton, for specimens of a variety of Perch from 

 Ravenfield Park ponds, near Rotherham, in Yorkshire, the 

 seat of Thomas Walker, Esq., which, when received in 

 London, were of a uniform slate-grey colour with a silvery 

 tint ; and this peculiarity of colour is retained when the 



