THE CHUB. 285 



Another writer says, " The chub is a strong, compact, 

 but rather clumsily-built fish." This is less abusive, but 

 bardly flattering to our Gyprinus cephalus. Mr. Chol- 

 mondeley Pennell, I see, though he speaks of the chub 

 as "somewhat slow and clumsy in its movements and 

 appearance," yet adds that be is " withal a stately and 

 handsome fish when large and in good condition ; " 

 and Mr. Francis boldly begins his chapter on chub 

 thus : " The chub is a well-shaped, handsome-looking 

 member of the carp tribe." Indeed, I think a chub, 

 say Of 3 lbs. or 4 lbs., is altogether one of the 

 best-looking fresh-water fish we have, and more sym- 

 metrical than his big cousins the carp, the barbel, or the 

 bream. It is a downright libel to stigmatize his head as 

 so monstrous and ill-shapen, though I must admit his 

 mouth is a little too big to be proportionate, and that he 

 holes somewhat big-headed when you confront him " full- 

 face." I feel quite angry with a class of piscatorial 

 writers who invariably call chub " loggerheads," though 

 they have Walton's authority for the term. It is an 

 opprobrious name, which of course attributes to the 

 chub a head as thick, heavy, and misshapen as a log. 

 However, I do not for a moment suppose that any 

 protesting on my part will put down this unjust appel- 

 lation. It is no use kicking against the pricks ; and 

 even if I could get tbe term " loggerheads " univer- 

 sally suppressed, cephalus and " chub " would still 

 stick to our Leuciscus. Indeed, there seems a general 

 etymological conspiracy among nations to designate this 

 fish, so to speak, by his " head." Thus, in the old Saxon, 

 we have him called cop or oopp, which is evidently con- 

 nected with caput, Icephalos, cephalus. Then there is the 



