214 MALACOFTERYGII. — CYPRINID^. 



suppose, is to be attributed the beautiful pearly- 

 play of light that marks these lovely fishes, as dis- 

 tinguished from the light reflected by an uniformly 

 polished surface. We have found the pearly pig- 

 ment of the scales to be provided with similar 

 spicules in fishes widely differing in size, structure 

 and habits, as the Gudgeon and Minnow, the 

 Pike and the marine Bream. The spiculae of 

 these fishes agree in general form with those of 

 the Gold-fish, and also in size, with the excep- 

 tion of trifling variations in the comparative length 

 and breadth. The colouring matter is lodged in 

 lengthened cylindrical cells, arranged side by side, 

 and running across the scale, that is, in a direction 

 at right angles to the lateral line. 



The Common Carp {Cyprinus carpio, Linn.), 

 though not indigenous to England, is now suffi- 

 ciently abundant here, especially in the southern 

 and midland counties. In Scotland it cannot be 

 considered other than rare. The period of the 

 introduction of the species into this country is 

 disputed ; the probability is, that it was imported 

 into different parts at separate times. The earliest 

 notice of it on record is by Dame Juliana Berners, 

 about the end of the fifteenth century. 



The Carp has been known to attain the length 

 of thirty inches, with a girth of twenty-two. Its 

 colours are brownish-olive on the upper parts, and 

 dull white on the lower, the whole surface having 

 a tinge of yellow : the fins are dark brown ; the 

 number of their rays is as follows: D. 22; P. 17; 

 V. 9; A. 8 ; C. 19. The scales are large and 

 coarse ; the lateral line nearly straight. 



Still waters are principally affected by this spe- 

 cies; ponds with soft muddy bottoms are most 



