230 THE PERCH. 



there are some seasons of the year when it is almost impossible to catch a Perch, and 

 even the shy and gently nibbling roach is an easier prey. 



The Perch is a very hardy fish, living for a long time when removed from the water, 

 in consequence of the structure of the gill-cover, which prevents the delicate membranes 

 of the branchiae from becoming dry. It will, in consequence, endure being transported 

 over considerable distances, if it be only watered occasionally, a capacity which enables 

 the proprietor of a fish-pond to stock it without difficulty. In some countries, where 

 fish is a common article of food, and enforced on certain days by ecclesiastical law, 

 these fish are kept in ponds, caught in nets, put into baskets with grass which is always 

 kept wet, and taken to the markets, where they remain through the day, and if not 

 sold, are carried back to their pond in the evening and replaced. 



It does not seem to be a cold-enduring fish, however hardy it may be in other re- 

 spects ; and though it is plentiful in almost every lake and river of England and Wales, 

 it is hardly to be found in the waters north of the Tweed. All the temperate parts of 

 Europe possess this well-known species. 



The Perch is a truly voracious fish, feeding upon aH kinds of aquatic worms, insects, 

 and fishes, preferring the latter diet as it becomes older and larger. The smaller fish, such 

 as minnows, young roach, dace, and gudgeons, are terribly persecuted by the Perch, and a 

 bait formed of either of these fish, or a good imitation of them, will generally allure the 

 finest Perches to the hook. Although generally inhabiting mid or deep water, it will 

 sometimes come to the surface to snap up a casual fly that has fallen into the water, 

 and on several occasions has been captured by anglers when fishing with a fly for 

 trout. 



Practical fishermen say that the Perch is almost the only fish which the pike does not 

 venture to attack, and that if a pike should make one of its rushing onslaughts on a Perch, 

 the intended prey boldly faces the enemy, erects the dorsal fin with its array of formidable 

 spines, and thus baffles the ever-hungry aggressor. Still, it is an article of faith with some 

 anglers, that a young Perch from which the dorsal fin has been removed is one of the 

 surest baits for pike. Perhaps they think that the pike is so delighted to find a Perch 

 unarmed, that it seizes the opportunity to feed upon a luxury which it can seldom obtain. 



The Perch is not often seen in the middle of a stream, preferring to haunt the banks, 

 and from under their shadow to watch the little fish and other creatures on which it 

 feeds. This habit is common to many, if not to most of the carnivorous river-fishes, the 

 pike and trout being also bank lovers, and having special retreats whither they betake 

 themselves, and which they will not suffer any other fish to approach. Deep holes by 

 the bank are favorite resorts of the Perch, and on a fine day, when the water is clear, 

 it is often possible to see them in their home, swimming gently to and fro, and never 

 stirring from the narrow limits of the hole in which they reside. 



By careful management, it will sometimes be possible to capture every member of the 

 party, for if the bait be quietly let down among them, and each Perch when hooked 

 drawn smartly out of the water, the survivors seem to care nothing about the sudden exit 

 of their companion, and successively fall victims to the same fate. It is, however, as a 

 rule, unsafe to let one fish get off the hook, as these creatures, though mute to human 

 ears, have their own silent speech, and are able to communicate ideas among themselves. 



The eye of a Perch is said to be an almost irresistible bait for these fish, and the 

 sufferer has even been known to break away from the hook, to which one of its eyes 

 clung, and to be again captured by biting at its own eye. 



The flesh of the Perch is white, firm, well flavored, and is thought to be both del- 

 icate and nutritious. 



The Perch is not a large fish, from two to three pounds being considered rather a heavy 

 weight. Individuals, however, of much greater dimensions have been, though rarely, 

 captured. One of the finest Perches ever taken in England, was captured in the river 

 Avon, in Wiltshire, by a night-line baited with a roach ; its weight was eight pounds. 

 Specimens of five or six pounds are occasionally taken, but are thought so valuable, 

 that the captor generally sends the account of his success to some journal. 



The color of the Perch is rich greenish brown above, passing gradually into golden 

 white below. Upon the sides is a row of dark transverse bands, generally from 



