228 THE RIVER PERCH. 



the greater numLer being far inferior even to that mag- 

 nitude. The body is deep and oval lliaped ; the fcales 

 rough ; the back much arched ; the fide line nearer it 

 than the belly. A minute defcription of a fifli fo common 

 \vould be unnecefl'arya 



'^he BaJJ'e *. 



J. HIS fifli is dlftingullhed by an uncommon degree of 

 voracity, and hence v^^as termed a wolf (Jupus) by Ovidf^ 

 a name generally adopted by fucceeding writers. In the 

 fait water pools of Italj, it fometimes attains to a prodi- 

 gious fize, and weighs fifteen pounds; the fieili is ex- 

 tremely grateful to the taftef : In the lakes tliey are fre- 

 quently found by the fifiiermen frozen to death, as they 

 i'uppofc, but more probably fufFocated by the cxclufion of 

 the air from the furface of the water ; a circumftance 

 from which Willoughby takes occalion to caution thofe 

 who keep them in ponds to break the ice frequently du- 

 ring the continuance of frofl §. This fpccies inhabits in- 

 difcriminately lakes, rivers, and the fea ; to the former, 

 liowever, they probably^ afcend from the fea, for they do 

 not feem to breed in frefh water. 



Upon the back there are two fins, both radiated with 

 fplnes : behind the anus another rifes and proceeds to- 

 wards the tail, llrengthened with fourteen rays; the three 

 firrt fpinous : The pe<?l;oral and ventral fins have each a 

 mixture of prickly and cartilaginous rays. The fcales 



• Lupus, Rondel. Perca Lab rax, Lin. Syft. 



•f- Halieut. p. 112. J Rondclet. p. s68, 



§ Iclithyol.. p. 271, 



