174 PHYSOSTOMI. 



November. The locality chosen is usually from four to six feet of water, where 

 the stream is only of medium strength, while the bottom should be sandy and 

 free from weeds. It seldom bites in cold weather, or just subsequent to a flood, 

 or in the dark ; but during the sunny hours of the warm months delights to lie in 

 the shade, as under a plank or boat, while it is by no means shy. It is assembled 

 in shoals by raking the bed of the river, which, setting free desirable food, causes 

 numbers to flock to the place. A small hook should be employed ; with some a 

 very light line is used, while others consider a moderately heavy one better or the 

 extent of the swim is reached too rapidly, whilst floats are dispensed with in some 

 instances. Occasionally it will suddenly cease biting from some unascertainable 

 cause, or it may be the effect of a scare produced by a pike or perch having 

 appeared on the feeding ground. In the cold weather when it retires to deeper 

 water, the line should be leaded so that the hook touches the bottom. 



Baits. — A small red worm. 



Breeding. — April, May, and June, depositing its small bluish ova among stones 

 and in the shallow water of streams, the ova, according to French pisciculturists, 

 requiring about a month to hatch. Yarrell found fry about an inch long in 

 August. In some localities they are supposed to breed three times in the year, 

 or to take a long time spawning. Mr. Manley found that some placed in a pond 

 multiplied there although the bottom was clayey. 



Uses. — As baits, for perch fishing or on night-lines for eels. 



As food. — Much esteemed, easy of digestion, and never out of season if 

 procurable. That from the Thames is considered by some to be far superior 

 to the same fish from other rivers. The following plan has been recommended : 

 take a frying-pan in the boat when gudgeon fishing. Clean, wipe, and let the 

 fish dry until it is almost hard by hanging it out in a wind or exposing it to the 

 sun ; then fry it in boiling fat, butter, or oil till crisp and of a light brown 

 colour. Dr. Brookes (Hist. Fish. 1772, p. 113) asserts that it is tender and 

 delicate, and by many swallowed alive, being thought good for a consumption. 



Thompson alludes to an instance of a dog in the river Lagan which was 

 accustomed, when the water was low (about nine inches deep), to search for, 

 catch, and eat gudgeons. Eels are very partial to these fish. 



Habitat. — Northern and temperate parts of central Europe, extending from 

 Denmark to France and Italy. 



Some skins of this species exist in the British Museum obtained from Parnell's 

 collection are now labelled Scotland. As the species is not alluded to in his work 

 they may be from elsewhere (see vol. i, page 311). In Torkshire it is common 

 and generally distributed in rivers and ponds (Torkshire Vertebrata) : also in 

 Lancashire : in Norfolk very scarce among the broads (Lubbock) but abundant 

 in the higher parts of the rivers where it finds gravel shoals. The finest gudgeons 

 are found in the Trent, Kennet, Thames and Colne, those from the last three 

 growing to a large size, but fine ones are not unfrequently taken in the Wye, 

 while it is generally found in suitable pieces of water. It has only of late years 

 been known in Devonshire, having been probably introduced : a specimen was 

 captured by Mr. King, June 3rd, 1873 (Parfitt) : I have already alluded to one 

 from Cloverley. It is said by Couch to have been introduced into Cornwall and 

 thriving in some ponds near Penzance, but Mr. Cornish remarks that he does not 

 know of it (Cornish Fauna). 



In Ireland, noted in county of Antrim, Dublin, Kilkenny. In the Barrow, 

 the Shannon Canal, Tuam and Headfort. Templeton observes that these fish 

 appeared in the River Lagan in 1801 having ascended the canal from Lough 

 Neagh where they have been inhabitants, perhaps, for centuries. Introduced 

 from Dublin into the River Dodden about 1822 by an angler who, living in 

 Dublin, disliked the trouble of going so far for bait : 1852 it had become common, 

 often attaining ten inches in length (Kinahan). 



The example figured life-size was captured in the Thames in October, 1822, by 

 Mr. T. Carrington, f.l.s. This fish does not usually attain to above eight inches 

 in length, but Pennant alludes to having heard of one half-a-pound weight having 

 been taken at Uxbridge, a weight which some modera authors have doubled. 



