FISHES 471 



fact, as valuable a fish as might be supposed. A Sturgeon 

 which weighed 11 J- stone was caught in the Eden, near Cargo, 

 on July 7, 1891. It was sold to a Carlisle tradesman, who 

 sent it to Manchester. It was there knocked down to a pur- 

 chaser for £2, 5s. The salesman deducted the incidental ex- 

 penses of his commission and the cost of transit, and sent the 

 fishmonger a cheque for the balance, which I saw, £1, 18s. lOd. 

 Consequently, the ' royal fish ' averaged a trifle under 4d. per 

 pound in open competition. I have not found any record of 

 Sturgeon being captured in our waters earlier than the month 

 of April. A Sturgeon which weighed 1 1 J stone was caught in 

 the salmon nets at Kinggarth on April 27, 1841. The months 

 of May, June, and July, are those in which this fish usually 

 visits our estuaries. The size of the Sturgeon taken by our 

 fishermen varies considerably. A Sturgeon caught off Chapel 

 Island in June 1842 weighed between 60 and 70 pounds. 

 Another, caught off Flimby in July 1850, weighed 17 stone, 

 and measured 8 feet 6 inches. Fish of 8 or 9 stone are not 

 very uncommon in the English Solway. Their condition at the 

 time of capture varies individually. They are often very 

 vigorous, and a blow of a struggling Sturgeon's tail will cut a 

 man's leg to the bone. They are generally taken in the haaf- 

 nets. Although we have no evidence of young Sturgeon having 

 been reared in any of our rivers, it appears probable that it is 

 the instinct of reproduction which impels Sturgeon to seek an 

 entrance to our fresh waters. A Sturgeon which Mr. Back- 

 house caught near Skinburness in the summer of 1891, proved, 

 on being opened, to contain a large quantity of roe. 



Order A CANTHOPTERYGII. Fam. PEPCID jE. 



PERCH. 



Perca Jluviatilis, L. 



The Perch has always been a common fish in Lakeland. 

 Adam Walker, who visited this part of England in 1792, found 

 that at Low Wood, on Windermere, boats, lines, and baits 

 were always ready for fishing Perch (called Bass here). ( This 



