THE PEBCH. 
179 
Athenseus, is a sea-fish, probably of the JLubrus or Sparus 
kind, being enumerated by them among some congenerous 
species. Our perch was much esteemed by the Romans. 
Nor is it less admired at present, as a firm and delicate 
fish ; the Dutch, indeed, are particularly fond of it when 
made into a dish called water souchy. 
It is a gregarious fish, and loves deep holes and gentle 
streams. It is a most voracious fish, and eager biter; if 
the angler meets with a shoal of them, he is sure of taking 
every one. 
It is a common notion that the pike will not attack this 
fish, being fearful of the spiny fins which the perch erects 
on the approach of the former. This may be true in re- 
spect to large fish ; but it is well known the small ones are 
the most tempting bait that can be laid for the pike. 
The perch is a fish very tenacious of life: we have known 
them carried near sixty miles in dry straw, and yet survive 
tlie journey. 
These fish seldom grow to a large size : we onee heard of 
one that was taken in the Serpentine river, Hyde Park, that 
weighed nine pounds ; but that is very uncommon. 
The body is deep ; the scales very rough ; the back much 
arched ; side-line near the back. 
The irides golden ; the teeth small, disposed in the jaws, 
and on the roof of the mouth ; the edges of the covers of 
the gills serrated; on the lower end of the' largest is a 
sharp spine. 
The first dorsal fin consists of fourteen strong spiny rays ; 
the second of sixteen soft ones; the pectoral fins are trans- 
parent, and consist of fourteen rays; the ventral of six; 
the anal of eleven. 
The tail is a little forked. 
The colours are beautiful; the back, and part of th 
sides being of a deep green, marked with five broad black 
bars pointing downwards ; the belly is white, tinged with 
l>e d ; the ventral fins of a rich scarlet ; the anal fins and 
tail of the same colour, but rather paler. 
In a lake called Llyn Raithlyn, in Merionethshire, is a 
very singular variety of perch ; the back is quite hunched, 
and the lower part of the back-bone, next the tail, strangely 
distorted ; in colour, and in other respects, it resembles the 
common kind, which are as numerous in the lake as these 
deformed fish. They are not peculiar to this water ; for 
Linnseus takes notice of a similar variety found at Fahlun, 
'n his own country. We have also heard that it. is to be 
met with in the Thames, near Marlow. 
