FISHES 1.53 



has a curious power of changing its colour rapidly ; the presence of food appears 

 to excite this power, and it is noticeably brighter by day than by night. 



10. The Tench (Tinea vulgaris). This fish has a thick body, covered 

 with small scales, and very slimy. It is fond of mud, and indeed spends the 

 winter lying dormant in the mud and ooze at the bottom of a pond or river. 

 Though it occasionally grows to a great size (up to 3 feet), a specimen of 2 or 

 3 Ib. weight is a good catch. It is of a deep yellowish brown colour, approach- 

 ing sometimes a golden or greenish hue. It spawns in May or June, laying 

 its eggs amongst water plants. Like the Carp, it will live for some time out 

 of water. 



11. The Bream * (Abramis brama), a common little fish, closely related 

 to the Bleak, possessing a long body, a short blunt snout, and long anal fins. 

 Its colour varies from silver-grey to dark brown. It lives in shoals, showing 

 a preference for quiet waters, and feeding chiefly on water plants. It may 

 reach a weight of 8 or 10 Ib., but generally a 4-lb. fish would be considered 

 a good specimen. During the breeding season the males are adorned with 

 curious whitish excrescences, which become a golden colour. 



12. The White Bream (A. blicca) is another common species, which has 

 more red upon the body and fins, and the scales are larger. Its flesh is seldom 

 eaten, or, at any rate, is not esteemed highly. 



13. The Bleak (Alburnus lucidus), a small species 6 or 7 inches long, possess- 

 ing an elongated and compressed body ; its mouth points upwards, and the 

 lower jaw projects noticeably beyond the upper. The upper parts are bluish 

 green, the sides and under parts silvery, the fins white and transparent. Its 

 activity on the surface makes it familiar to most anglers. The scales are used, 

 like those of the Chub and other fish, in the manufacture of artificial pearls. 



14. The Loach (Nemachilus barbatulus) is about 4 inches long, of a yellowish 

 white colour, with brown spots. It is distinguished by the six or more barbels 

 on its mouth. It has very small scales and is very slimy. It hides beneath 

 stones, and is a difficult creature to catch. It makes an interesting occupant 

 of an aquarium, "and soon gets remarkably tame. 



THE PERCH FAMILY. 



This is a genus of spiny-finned fish, of which a familiar marine species 

 is the Bass, whilst the Fresh-water Perch (Perca fluviatilis) is the best known 

 British representative in fresh water. It is a handsome fish, distinguished 

 by its conspicuous front dorsal fin, which is very prickly. It is a bronze-green 

 colour on back and sides, whiter underneath, with red fins, and has six or seven 

 dark bands on the sides. It may reach as much as 9 Ib. in weight. The eggs 

 are laid in spring, in long sticky strings attached to weeds. It is an omnivorous 

 feeder, and will even pull down young moorhens and water-voles as well as 

 devouring other fish. 



* The Sea Breams, or Sparida, are quite distinct from this species. 



