THE PERCH. 815 
he may sometimes be eaten by them, his comrades will 
retaliate upon the young of his destroyers. 
“The proper bait for the perch is the minnow. He 
will take that at all seasons. In mid-summer, however, 
he prefers the worm, at which he generally bites freely. 
He is often taken with the grub, or with small pieces of 
fish of any kind. 
‘He is a capital fish at all times for the table. His 
flesh is hard and savory. He should be fried with salt 
pork rather than butter, and thoroughly done. He 
makes good chowder, though inferior for that purpose to 
the black bass or the yellow pike. 
“ A difference of opinion exists among our most tasteful 
icthyophagists, as to whether this fish should be scaled 
or skinned. Let me tell you how to skin him. Take a 
sharp pointed knife, and rip up the skin along the back, 
from the posterior extremity of the back fin, on one or 
both sides of it, along its whole length—then take the 
fish firmly by the head with the left hand, and with the 
right take hold of the skin of the back near the head, 
first on one side and then on the other, and peal it down 
over the tail. This being done, all the fins are thereby 
removed except those of the back and belly, which are 
easily drawn out by a gentle pulling towards the head. 
Cut off the head, and you have a skinless, finless lump 
of pure white flesh. Some say this is the only way a 
perch should be prepared for the cook’s art—others say 
it impairs the flavor, and should never be pursued. As 
