I92 THE TENCH. 



men, was carefully put into a pond. At first it 

 merely floated, and after a while it swam gently, 

 but with difficulty, away. It is probably yet 

 alive. 



Among the various satyrical witticisms which ap- 

 peared respecting this fish was a song, of which the 

 following is the conclusion : 



The scullion wench 



Did catch a Tench, 

 Fatter than Berkshire hogs, Sir, 

 Which, pretty soul, 



Had made his hole, 

 Sang shelter'd by some logs, Sir ! 



. 



Sans water he 



Had liv'd d'ye see, 

 Beneath those roots of wood, Sir ? 



And there, alack, " ' j 



Flat on his back, 

 Had lain since Noah's flood, Sir { 



Now he's in stew 



For public gout, 

 And fed with lettuce-coss, Sir, 



In hopes the town 



Will gulp him down, 

 With good humbugging sauce, Sir ! 



Tench are foolish fish, and are usually caught with 

 aline without difficulty. The baits generally adopted 

 are the small red worms taken out of rotten tan, 

 wasp maggots, or marsh worms. The season for 

 angling is from September to June. The fish will 

 bite during the greater part of the day, but the ex- 



3 



