50 RUDD. 



of water, with sheltering pools, it is not met with in districts 

 where the flow of water is rapid and turbulent. Although, 

 therefore, it is generally distributed through the more level 

 counties of England, it is not a native of Cornwall, and I 

 find it mentioned as uncertain in a list of the fishes found in 

 the neighbourhood of Weymouth, kindly communicated by 

 William Thompson, Esq., of that place, although the Roach is 

 plentiful there. Nilsson observes that it is found in the south 

 and middle portions of Scandinavia, where it appears to display 

 more sociable habits than others of this family, so as to.be 

 found mingled with them, especially at the time of spawning. 

 This function is entered upon in the beginning of summer, at 

 which time the male assumes a different appearance, by a 

 particular roughness of the skin; and the spawn is shed 

 among the weeds of the pools 



This fish is in considerable esteem for the table. 



In spite of the dangers to which it is exposed^ the Rudd 

 is known to have reached the weight of two pounds; but our 

 description is taken from much smaller examples; of which 

 we select a couple in order to make a more definite comparison. 

 Where the length was nine inches, the depth at the ventral 

 fins was two inches and five eighths; the form rather stout, 

 but compressed; snout gently rounded, gape narrow, under 

 jaw a little the shortest; no teeth; eye moderate, nostrils in 

 a depression The outline ascends at first gently over the 

 head towards the dorsal fin; in one specimen in a circular 

 form, in another rising more suddenly behind the head. The 

 body clothed with scales of moderate size; lateral line descending 

 at first, and then near the lower border straight to the tail, — 

 forty-three pores along this line. The dorsal fin is behind the 

 line of the ventrals and opposite the space between these and 

 the anal, its first rays much the longest, becoming shorter 

 gradually to the last; anal fin not so long as the dorsal; the 

 tail forked. The colour in one example bluish green on the 

 back, the sides tinged with blue, white below; the cheeks 

 tinged with yellow; eyes bright red. All the fins tinged with 

 red, the dorsal fin and tail dark near the border. In another 

 example the general colour was brown, darker on the back; 

 eye reddish brown; fins dull red, darker on the dorsal fin 

 and tail. 



