Page:British Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fresh-water Fishes.djvu/116

BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES pools. Whilst the young of this species closely resemble those of the White or Silver Bream, the adults are distinguished by the brownish or greenish colouration, relieved with a metallic sheen on the sides of the body; and blackish on the fins. It is a social species, and large shoals move about in company. Some very old Bream used to frequent the surface of a small lake in which I have had rare sport in days gone by, and on a hot Summer's day it was most annoying to observe these big fellows, grey with age, sunning themselves for hours on end, whilst I was patiently waiting for a bite. Nothing would tempt them, and although we caught a great many other fish in the same stretch of water, so far as I remember we never succeeded in landing one of these 8 to 10 pounders. That this fish is both cunning and shy, especially when it has attained any size, I can personally testify. Food and spawning time resemble those of the last-named, and at the latter season there is a great deal of display. Various hybrids occur between Bream and other species, but it is unnecessary to give details of these here.

Bleak—Alburnus lucidus (Fig. 53). This small fish makes amends for its diminutiveness by its engaging 98