Jack. 315 



they prey on the roach, it is noticeable that, unless 

 driven by some one passing by, they rarcl}^ go into 

 these deep holes. The jack lies in shallow water 

 and keeps close to the shore under shelter of the flags, 

 or concealed behind the weeds. It is as if he under- 

 stood that exQY-y now and then the shoal of roach will 

 pass round the curve — going from one pool to the 

 other — when they have to swim through the shal- 

 lower water. Sometimes a solitary fish will shift 

 quarters like this, and must go h\ the jack lying in 

 ambush. 



At the top of the tongue of land (which is planted 

 with withy) another brook joins the first : this brook 

 is very deep, and all but stagnant. In the quiet 

 back-water here — close to and yet out of the swifter 

 stream — is another haunt of the jack. 



If alarmed, he does not swim straight up or down 

 the centre of the current, but darts half-a-dozen 

 3'ards in a slanting direction across the stream and 

 hides under another floating weed. Then if started 

 afresh, he makes another zig-zag, and conceals him- 

 self once more. At first he remains till you could 

 touch him, if you tried, with a long stick ; but at 

 every move he grows more suspicious, till at last as 

 you approach he is ofl' immediately. 



Jacks lie a great deal in the still deep ponds that 

 open off the brook or are connected with it by a deep 

 ditch ; they have been known to find their way up to 

 a pond from the brook through a subterranean pipe 

 which supplied it with water. Those that remain in 

 the ponds are usually much larger than those found 

 in the stream: these are often small — say, a pound 

 to two pounds in weight. In the spawning season, 



