126 ANGLING. 



THE RED-EYE OR RUDD.* 



This is a common continental fish, well known in 

 the Thames, and not uncommon in several of the 

 southern counties of England, but becoming rarer 

 as we proceed northward. We have never met 

 with it in Scotland, although it is recorded as oc- 

 curring here. It is found in Lough Neagh in 

 Ireland, under the misapplied name of roach. 

 " The rudd," says Mr. Yarrell, " in addition to 

 its vivid colours, is also tenacious of life, and is 

 on that account preferred by trollers as a bait for 

 pike. It breeds freely without requiring any care 

 to be bestowed upon it, and is therefore useful as 

 food for large perch, trout, or pike. It is said to 

 be a much better fish to eat than the roach, but 

 does not attain more than two pounds' weight. 

 The food of the rudd is worms, molluscous animals 

 and insects, with some vegetable matter ; it spawns 

 in April, or early in May, on or .about aquatic 

 plants, and the scales at this period are rough to 

 the hand." f 



The iris in this species is of an orange red colour, 

 from whence both its English and Latinised spe- 

 cific name. The cheeks and gill covers are golden 

 yellow ; the upper parts brown tinged with green 

 and blue ; the sides pale ; the abdomen of a light 

 golden yellow ; and the entire surface of the body 



* Lcuriscus erytlirotlialmus, Cuv. Cyprinm erythrothalmus, Linn, 

 f British Fishes, vol. i. p. 362. 



