474 Fishes. 
THE PEECH, (Perca fluviatilis,) 
Seldom grows to any great size ; yet we have an account 
of one which is said to have weighed nine pounds. The 
body is deep, the scales rough, the back arched, and the 
side-lines placed near the back. For beauty of colours, 
the Perch vies with the gaudiest inhabitants of the 
waters ; the back glows with the deep reflections of the 
brightest emeralds, divided by five broad black stripes ; 
the abdomen imitates the tints of the opal and mother- 
of-pearl; and the ruby hue of the fins completes an 
assemblage of colours most harmonious and elegant. It 
is a gregarious fish, and is caught in several rivers of 
these islands ; the flesh is firm, delicate, and much 
esteemed. 
It is generally believed that a pike will not attack a 
full-grown Perch : he is deterred from so doing by the 
spiny or dorsal fin on the back, which this fish always 
erects at the approach of an enemy. Perch are so vora- 
cious, that, if an expert angler happens to find a shoal of 
them, he may catch every one. If, however, a single 
fish escape that has felt the hook, all is over ; as this 
fish becomes so restless, as soon to occasion the whole 
shoal to leave the place. Perch are so bold, that they 
are generally the first fish caught by a young angler; 
they will also soon learn to take bread thrown into the 
water to feed them. A large-sized Perch weighs about 
three pounds ; but generally the Perches caught in 
ponds do not exceed eight or ten ounces in weight. 
