TENCH. BREAM. 33 



weedy ponds or deep pits, and though in very 

 sluggish rivers they may take up their quarters upon 

 some quiet reach, they are seldom found abundant in 

 these situations. In the winter months these fish lie 

 dormant in the mud at the bottom of the water, as 

 we have already stated to be the case with the carp ; 

 indeed, the main habits and instincts correspond 

 closely with those just ascribed to the carp. The 

 chief points of distinction are that the tench possesses 

 greater powers of suction, is considerably less in size 

 (seldom attaining more than 6 or 7 Ibs. in our 

 home waters), and is inferior in cunning. The body 

 of the tench is abundantly supplied with mucous, 

 which is generally supposed to have medicinal pro- 

 perties. This would be difficult to prove, and we very 

 much doubt whether it ever has been satisfactorily 

 established. Both carp and tench are eminently 

 tenacious of life, and able to breathe with the most 

 meagre supply of oxygen. The young of both fish 

 are also of marvellously quick growth where food is 

 plentiful, and the surroundings are favourable to their 

 well-being. The golden variety of tench, now 

 acclimatised here, is being artificially bred and dis- 

 tributed upon an extensive scale. 



BREAM (Abramis bramd) abound to profusion in 

 many of our lakes, rivers, and canals, as also in small 

 confined sheets of water throughout the land. There 

 are two principal British varieties of these fish, viz., 

 the common or carp bream, and the white bream, or 

 breamflat. There are numerous hybrids among 

 bream, as, indeed, is the case with the whole carp 



D 



