276 PROSE HALIEUTICS. 



is a first-rate delicacy, and quite equal to turtle. Tench, 

 like the gudgeon, is held a dish for invalids, and has heen 

 pressed into their service in more ways than one : for 

 convalescents who are not yet allowed mutton, may safely 

 go from gruel and sago to tench broth ; and in febrile at- 

 tacks, it used to be applied to the palms of the feet and 

 hands, to absorb the fever ; laid over the region of the 

 liver in jaundice, stUl more wonderful results ensued, — 

 after one or two applications the skin of the icteric pa- 

 tient would, we are assured, return to a perfectly natural 

 colour, whilst the fish became more and more safiron in 

 hue, and at length expired in a jaundice; on being cut 

 open it was found dyed throughout of a deep gamboge 

 yellow! A live tench applied to the temple has been {on 

 dif) known to assuage the throbbings of nervous head- 

 aches ; and worn round the neck, to cure sore eyes : it 

 was also found equally potent in obstinate worm cases. 



This fish very seldom attains to large dimensions here : 

 a foot and a half is considered a very unusual length ; in 

 Italy however it has been known to reach twenty pounds 

 weight. 



In heraldry, the tench has not been made so much use 

 of as many much poorer, and not less common fish : the 

 old German family. Von Tanques, bears in their arms 

 three, or; three tench hauriant, gules, are the arms of 

 the French family Tanche : a Flanders marshal carries 

 the same ; and Sir Fisher Tench has adopted his name- 

 sake as part of his coat. 



Cypmnus Abuamis (Bream). 



There is a poor fish of the Adriatic which a man's cha- 

 racter is thought compromised by eating ; call any one a 

 'mangia mendole' at Venice, and if he have a stiletto by 

 him you wiU probably feel it under your waistcoat. The 

 bream is as worthless a fish as the mendole, but without 



