THE CARP FAMILY. 161 



and the Breamflat, and it is much to be regretted that 

 we have not greater means of testing the accuracy of 

 these opinions. Certainly neither of the fish grow to any 

 large size^ 1| or 2 lbs. being the extreme limit ; and as 

 to their numbers, I am acquainted with many waters that 

 literally swarm with the former; whilst of the latter 

 eighteen hundredweight are stated to have been taken in 

 the Trent at a single sweep of the net. 



The notion of hybrids amongst fish is not confined to 

 the Rudd and Breamflat ; as already mentioned, it has 

 been supposed that the Ruffe is a cross between the Perch 

 and the Gudgeon, an opinion which has arisen from its 

 resemblance to the one in its colouring, and to the other 

 in shape and habits. Mr. Wright, alluding to the sub- 

 ject, says, " This view may appear at first very extraordi- 

 nary, seeing that the Perch are constantly preying upon 

 Gudgeons, and cannot therefore be supposed to form any 

 friendly connexion ; but it may be easily accounted for 

 thus : — the Gudgeon, with ova at maturity, in endeavour- 

 ing to escape from the Perch, might, and most likely would, 

 deposit some of their eggs, whUst the Perch would as pro- 

 bably deposit a portion of vivifying milt upon them ; and 

 this would so continually occur, as to give reason for the 

 great number of hybrids in rivers where the two fish 

 abound, even if the hybrids themselves have no power of 

 reproduction. . . . This year, 1855, nearly the middle of 

 May, I have a Ruffe or Pope full of ova : there is, in my 

 opinion, every reason to think that this fish is a hybrid ; 



