128 PEESH-WATEE AQUAEIA. 



came. Tench, are sometimes found in rivers, but more 

 frequently in weedy and muddy ponds, and often in the pits 

 of disused brickfields. The muddier the water, the better 

 the flavour of the fish. The habits of the Tench are very 

 like those of the carp — both fish growing larger and increasing 

 more quickly in stagnant water than in running, and both 

 getting, during some portion of the winter, as far into the 

 mud at the bottom of the water in which they live as 

 possible. The Tench has been often called the " physician 

 fish," from the idea that it has the power, by means of the 

 sliminess of its skin, of curing the diseases of aU other fish. 

 And it has been said that the pike, out of gratitude to the 

 Tench for his skUl in healing, will refrain from devouring 

 him. Gratitude is so rare that one would be glad to discover 

 it even in a 'fish ; but we do not really find it there, at least 

 so far as the pike is concerned, for that "fresh-water shark," 

 notwithstanding his reputation of being possessed of the 

 " grace of courtesy " will not hesitate, if pressed by himger, 

 to make a dinner of his "kind physician." The other day, 

 in an aquarium of mine, a pike took, not his medicine, but 

 his "doctor." In the Tench's power of healing himself and 

 other fish I do not for a moment believe. It was only the 

 other day that a Gribel Caa-p was sent to me, and was placed 

 in the same tank with three Tench. Now, had these fish 

 their reputed gift of healing, I do not understand how it was 

 that they did not prevent their new companion from showing 

 signs of fungus, which it did shortly after its arrival. As 

 Tench delight in stagnant water, they are very well suited to 

 a life ia the aquarium. Their natural food consists of larvae 

 of insects, worms, and the tender shoots of some water-plants. 

 In confinement they wiU live upon vermicelli, to which should 

 be added a little animal food occasionally. 



The Golden Tench or Golden Schlei {Tinea awraius), a 

 variety of the Common Tench, is a very handsome fish, and 

 a great acquisition to an aquariimi. It originally came to 

 this country, I think, from the Continent, and now it is 

 quite acclimatised in England. It is "of a most lovely 

 yellow colour mixed with the gleam of gold." 



