CYPRINID^E. 197 



Fisk. iii, p. 389, c. fig. ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (ed. 2), i, p. 387, c. fig. ; White, Catal. 

 p. 63 ; Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 306 ; Fecldersen, Danske Fers. Fiske, p. 86. 



Abramis micropteryx and erythropterus, Agassiz, 1. c. ; Cuv. and Val. xvii. pp. 

 44, 58. 



Leuciscus blicca, Cuv. and Val. xvii, p. 31. 



Blicca argyroleuca, Heckel and Kner, Suss. w. f. p. 120, f. 62, 63 ; Yarrell, Brit. 

 Fishes (ed. 3) i, p. 403, c. fig. 



Abramis bjorhna, Nilss. Skan. Fauna, iv, p. 328 ; Malm, Fauna, p. 565 ; Blan- 

 chard, p. 359, f . 76 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, iii, p. 398. 



Blicca bjorhna, Siebold, Suss. w. f. Mit. Europe, p. 138. 



White bream, Couch, Brit. Fishes, iv, p. 40, pi. clxxxviii ; Houghton, British 

 Freshwater Fishes, p. 57, c. fig. 



B. iii, D. 11 (|:f) P. 15, V. 9-10, A. 22-27 ( T |:| ), C. 19, L. 1. 43-52, L. tr. -^o. 



Length of head h\ to 5|, of caudal fin 5, height of body 3? to 3i in the total 

 length. Eyes diameter 3? to 4i in the length of the head, 1| diameters from the 

 end of the snout, and 2-j- diameters apart. Body oblong, elevated, and compressed ; 

 dorsal profile in an almost regular curve to the commencement of the dorsal fin 

 from whence to the caudal it is somewhat concave ; head rather small ; snout 

 short and obtuse ; upper jaw slightly the longer, extending backwards almost to 

 beneath the front edge of the orbit ; mouth protractile, lips rather thick. Teeth 

 pharyngeal, in two rows 5-4, 2-3/ 3-2, 4-5. Fins dorsal commences behind 

 the insertion of the ventral and about midway between the front edge of the eye 

 and the base of the caudal fin, and just beyond the termination of the highest 

 point of the dorsal profile, while it extends usually to above the third or fourth 

 anal ray, but occasionally not quite so far. Pectoral inserted low down, and 

 as long as the head from behind the nostrils, it reaches to above the commence- 

 ment of the ventral, which latter does not extend to so far as the anal. Anal 

 falciform, highest anteriorly. Caudal forked. Scales of medium size, higher 

 than wide, 5 to 6 rows between the lateral-line and the base of the ventral fin. 

 On the abdominal edge between the ventral aud anal fins the scales do not pass 

 across forming a keel. Lateral-line passes downwards and is continued to the 

 base of the caudal fin. Colours silvery, darkest along the back, sides tinged with 

 rose red, fins of a bluish colour, the dorsal anal and caudal with dark outer margins, 

 the pectoral and ventrals tinged with red. 



Varieties. The Rev. R. Sheppard (Linn. Trans, xiv, p. 587) observed that 

 there exists in the river Trent in the neighbourhood of Newark, two species 

 or varieties of bream. The common one is known by the name of the 

 "carp-bream" from its yellow colour, and has been taken of nearly 8 pounds 

 weight. The other species or variety, which I believe to be a nondescript, never 

 exceeds a pound in weight. It is of a silvery hue and goes by the name of the 

 " white bream." 



Names. Taylor, in the Thames valley on the border of Bucks and Berks. 

 Breamflat, Cambridgeshire. Shude, Ireland. YMerfog aughrion, Welsh. Bremettis, 

 Book of St. Albans. Be Blei, Dutch. La Breme Bordeliere, French. 



Habits. Does not appear to collect in large shoal?, and is more commonly 

 found with the rudd and roach than the true bream. It is lively, sportive, and 

 tenacious of life. Lubbock observes that its mode of biting when angled for is 

 singular, as it appears more prone to rise than to descend, and the float conse- 

 quently, instead of being drawn under water, is laid horizontally on the surface. 



Means of capture. Takes a bait readily but said to be too indolent to swallow 

 it, still the Swedish fishermen term it Aetare or glutton. 



As food. Worthless. 



Breeding. Bloch found 108,000 eggs in one fish. A hybrid between this fish 

 and the rudd (see p. 176) has been observed in Holland and Germany. 



Habitat. In Europe the same as the common bream. It has been obtained 

 from Loch Maben in Dumfriesshire ; from the Trent near Newark ; the Cam, 

 where it was termed the " breamflat " ( Jenyns) ; and from the Norfolk boards. 

 It rarely exceeds a pound in weight. 



