40 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 
ing. But where they exist in such quantities 
they are usually of small size. Thousands of 
perch are also to be found in Slapton Ley, 
Devonshire; though the largest and best are 
to be found in the Avon, Kennet, and the 
Norfolk Broads. The economy of the perch 
is somewhat difficult to comprehend. Being so 
exceedingly prolific, they sometimes exist in 
thousands. When this is the case the “‘ schools” 
invariably consist of the smallest fish. Only 
large ones are to be had where the species is 
numerically weak, and hence the best fishing is 
to be had in preserved waters. The only way 
to improve an existing stock is to reduce it by 
two-thirds, then to feed the remainder. Unlike 
some of the coarse fish, the perch rarely attains 
to any size, and whilst it is not uncommon to read 
of individuals of six, seven, or eight pounds, yet a 
two-pound perch is a large and handsome fish. 
Buckland took casts of perch of 3 lbs. 2 ozs, 
and 2 lbs. 11 ozs., the former containing 127,240 
eggs, the latter 155,620. Whilst perfectly wild 
fish rarely attain to this size, it is not difficult 
to produce larger ones under  semi-artificial 
conditions. 
A stretch of water known to the writer runs 
along the edge of an old English garden. The 
fish are encouraged to congregate along its sides, 
