356 CYPRTN1D.E. 



known term Crucian, devoted to this fish, is a modification of 

 one or other of these names, and probably of the word 

 carouche. It is called the Hamburgh Carp by Lacepede, 

 and the German Carp by some of our Thames fishermen. It 

 is considered, like our Common Carp, not to have been an 

 indigenous species, but to have been originally introduced 

 here, perhaps without sufficient authority in either case. 



This particular Crucian Carp, for two species have hitherto 

 been included under this name, is by far the rarer fish of the 

 two. I have never seen the fish at present under consider- 

 ation, except from the Thames, between Hammersmith and 

 Windsor, where it attains considerable size, sometimes weigh- 

 ing a pound and a half; in one instance a specimen brought 

 me in October 1829, weighed two pounds eleven ounces. 

 The specimen now lately obtained, measured ten inches in 

 length ; four inches and a half in depth, without including the 

 dorsal fin, and weighed one pound. Of its habits I have 

 been able to obtain but little information. Bloch says it 

 deposits its spawn in May, but does not begin to breed till it 

 is two years old. 



The length of the head is to the depth of the body as one 

 to two ; and to the whole length of head, body, and tail, as 

 one to five ; the depth of the body, compared to the whole 

 length, as two to five ; the tail nearly square at the end. 



The fin-rays in the specimen before me are 



D. 20 : P. 14 : V. 9 : A. 8 : C. 19. 



The lateral line straight, containing thirty-four punctured 

 scales ; with seven scales above it to the dorsal edge at the 

 base of the first ray of the dorsal fin ; and six scales below the 

 lateral line to the origin of the ventral fin. Two short spines 

 anterior to the first elongated ray of the dorsal fin, are in- 

 cluded in the enumeration of the rays of that fin, to make 

 twenty ; the first long ray simple, but slightly serrated on 



