226 NOTES ON FISH AND FISHING. 



reason why " the fish is called a perch, though Dryden 

 sings of " hosts of birds . . . perched in the boughs ; " 

 so pray do not try to raise a fresh etymological question) . 

 The scientific name of this " queer" fish is Anabas scandens 

 (see page 7), but I like to call him by a name of my own 

 fabrication, Perca silvestris. Sir Emerson Tennent tells us 

 all about him in his book on Oeylon. I confess I should 

 like to make his acquaintance, as I should also like to 

 meet an eel on one of his cross-country journeys by night, 

 which "observant naturalists" say he makes, though I 

 have never yet encountered the "observant naturalist" 

 who has thus encountered a migrating eel. But of all 

 " capers " I know none equal this of the perch which 

 scales trees, and I should think scales himself sometimes 

 in the operation. Sir Emerson Tennent tells us of 

 "whistling oysters," and Badham of many musical fish. 

 Perhaps our Perca silvestris will gradually develope further 

 accomplishments, in accordance with the Darwinian 

 programme of progressive creation, and take to " singing 

 among the branches." 



Of the wondrous tenacity of life in perch I have already 

 made a jotting at page 20. 



It is a remarkable fact — or what seems to be a fact — 

 that nine out of every ten perch an angler takes are 

 females, judging at least from the roe. Perhaps the 

 bisexual nature of the perch above alluded to may account 

 for this phenomenon ; but I confess I speak with hesi- 

 tation. I once saw a turbot in a fishmonger's shop in 

 London Wall with both back and belly of the same colour 

 — dark. The proprietor told me it was a " cock " fish, 

 and that " cock " turbot (like " cock " perch) were very 

 seldom taken. 



