FAMILY CYPRINUXE. 191 



GENUS ABRAMIS. Cuvier. 



No bony rays nor barbels. Body deep, compressed. Dorsal and abdominal line very con 

 vex. The dorsal fin short, placed behind the line of the ventrals. Anal long. 



THE VARIEGATED BREAM. 



Abramis versicolor, 

 plate xxxii. fig. 103. 



Characteristics. Silvery varied with green, blue and golden. Anal with fourteen rays. 

 Length five to seven inches. 



Description. Body compressed, with its dorsal and abdominal outlines very convex. Scales 

 very large, orbicular, with excentric striae. Lateral line commences at the upper angle of the 

 branchial aperture, descends gently a short distance, when it suddenly curves downwards 

 with a broad curve below the middle of the body, following the abdominal outline to the tail ; 

 the scales of this line contain short and somewhat irregular tubes. Head small, smooth, 

 slightly depressed above, with a range of pores on its upper part. Three flat branchial rays. 

 Mouth protractile, opening somewhat vertically. Upper pharyngeal paved ; lower pharyn- 

 geals with three or four stout white teeth. 



The dorsal fin higher than long, subquadrate, placed behind the line of the ventrals ; the 

 first ray short, simple, not spinous, and closely adpressed to the second, which is longest, 

 and similar in structure to the first ; the remaining rays very ramose, successively shorter. 

 The pectorals broad, placed very low down ; upper ray simple and longest ; the remainder 

 slender, and difficult to be enumerated. Ventrals approximated. Anal longer than high, 

 placed posterior to the termination of the dorsal, excavated on its margin, and composed of 

 one simple and thirteen branched rays. Caudal forked ; the base covered to some distance 

 up with scales. Air-bladder bipartite. 



Color. This is so varied as to render it difficult to convey an idea by description alone. 

 General hue silvery, mixed with green and blue above, becoming golden on the sides and ab- 

 domen. Irides yellow. Opercles and suborbitals brilliant, lustrous, white, with metallic 

 reflections. Upper part of the head deep brownish black ; back dark green, passing into blue. 

 Pectorals and anal dull yellow. Ventrals deep orange. Dorsal and caudal fin brownish black ; 

 the former with a faint yellowish tinge on its membrane. 



Length, 5-0-7-0. 



Fin rays, D. 9 ; P. 14 ; V. 9 ; A. 14 ; C. 19 f . 



This is a savory fluviatile species. It appears occasionally in the New- York market, from 

 the Connecticut and Hudson river and the streams of Long Island. It is abundant near 

 Peekskill, where it is called Dace, from its resemblance to the Dace of Europe, which, 



