THE BLEAK 211 



The breeding season is usually in June, but varies 

 according to the year and the locality ; and also 

 according to the age of the fish, the older ones 

 spawning earliest. At this time the Bleak press in 

 close to the bank in vast shoals, leaping and lashing 

 the water with their tails, thus producing a sort of 

 hissing noise; in their excitement some may even 

 jump ashore and so perish. The eggs are shed in 

 the shallow water and adhere to the weeds or the 

 stones on the bottom. 



The small size of this fish makes it scarcely worth 

 the attention of the angler, especially if he be in 

 search of something to eat ; however, it is an excellent 

 spinning bait for Pike, which are attracted by its 

 bright coloration. The silvery scales of the Bleak 

 are extensively used in the manufacture of- artificial 

 pearls, especially in France ; hollow glass beads are 

 coated on the inside with the pigment obtained by 

 scraping the scales, and are then filled in with 

 wax. This industry commenced in France in the 

 year 1656, but the Chinese are said to have 

 extracted the silvery crystals from the scales of fish 

 for centuries before this. 



The Bleak takes its name from its brilliant white 

 colour ; the word bleach seems to be from the same 

 root. 



Forms interpreted as hybrids between the Bleak 

 and the White Bream, Rudd, Roach, Dace, and 

 Chub have been described by various authors, but 

 only two of these are known from England. 



The Roach x Bleak hybrid is known only from 

 a specimen 5^ inches long, taken in the Nene, 

 which is here figured (PI. XXXI, Fig. 3). It has a 

 moderately deep body, the depth being contained 



