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