30 



GUDGEON. 



Order IV. 

 PHYSOSTOMT. 



Family 

 CrPRIXIDJS. 



^-SUDGEON. 



(Gobio fluviatilis.) 



Gobi'o, 



Gohius fluviatilis, 



Cyprinus gobio, 



Gudgeon, 



Gobio fluviatilis. 



AusON., Id. X. 134; Cuv. R. An. 

 Gesner, de Aquatil., p. 399. 

 Linn., Syst. Nat. i. p. 526; Donovan, iii. pi. 71. 

 Pennant, Brit. Zool., iii. 310; Couch, Brit. Fish., iv. 20, pi. 182. 

 WiLLUGHBY, p. 264; Yarrell, Brit. Fish., i. p. 371; Siebold, 

 Siisserwasserf. p. 112; Gdnther's Cat. vii. p. 172. 



Characters of the Genus Gobio. — "Scales of moderate size; lateral line present. Dorsal fin short, without spine, 

 opposite to the ventrals. Anal fin short. Mouth inferior; mandible not projecting beyond the upper jaw when the 

 mouth is open; both jaws with simple lips; a small but very distinct barbel at the angle of the mouth, quite at the 

 extremity of the ma.xillary. Gill-rakers very short; pseudo-branchia;. Pharyngeal teeth 5.3 or 2 — 2 or 3.5, hooked 

 at the end. Europe." — Gunther. 



IT is not certain whether the Gudgeon is distinctly mentioned by the ancient Greeks, though 

 it was doubtless known to them. It is probable that under the name of Kw/Sw? (whence 

 the Latin gobios is derived,) Aristotle occasionally alludes to the Gudgeon. Ausonius is 

 sufficiently descriptive, and clearly speaks of that most excellent little fish In the following 

 lines : — 



"Tu quoque flumineas inter memoranda cohortes 

 Gobio, non major geminis sine poUice palmis 

 Prspinguis, teres, ovipari congestior alvo 

 Propexique jubas imitatus Gobio Barbi." (Id. x. 131 — 134.) 



"Thou too, O Gudgeon, worthy of being mentioned among the shoals of the river, not greater than the two palms 

 of the hands without the thumb; very fat, round and plumper still when thy belly is full of eggs; Gudgeon imitating 

 the hairs of the pendent-bearded Barbel." 



I suspect also that the author of the Halieuticon is referring to the Gudgeon In the line — 



"Lubricus et spina nocuus non Gobius ulla." 

 "The slippery Gobio harmful with no spine." 



The Gudgeon is found in such rivers and streams of this country as flow with moderate 

 velocit}^ and have a sandy or gravelly bottom. These fish will also thrive in ponds through 

 which fresh water runs ; they are gregarious in their nature, and readily taken with a worm, 

 affording capital sport in their small way, to those anglers who care more for numbers than 

 size, and who can appreciate a most excellent food. Their spawning time Is In May and 

 June; the ova are very small, and are deposited among stones in shallow water. Yarrell 

 states that the fry are about an inch long by the beginning of August. According to 

 Thompson the Gudgeon Is found in many of the waters of Ireland. It is not mentioned as 

 occurring in Scotland. Is this merely negative evidence? Is not the Gudgeon an inhabitant 

 of any of the waters of Scotland ? Couch savs it is known only of late In Cornwall and the 

 western portion of Devonshire. 



