ALBURNT^S MENTO. 287 



and back. Its dorsal prolile is nearly horizontal. A broad <^rey-blue band 

 runs down the body from the snout to the tail. The body is five and a half 

 times as long" as high. The eye is about one-third of the leng-th of the head. 

 It is moi-e than its own diameter from the opposite eye, and less than its own 

 diameter from the snout. 



The dorsal fin commences far behind the ventral. It is higher than long. 

 The anal fin commences in advance of the end of the dorsal, and is longer 

 than high. The ventrals do not reach the vent, and the pectorals scarcely reach 



Fig'. 134. ALnUUNTS ALBURNELLrS, VAR. FKACCHIA (lIECKEL ANT) KNEK). 



the ventrals. The caudal fin is deeply forked, with its lobes pointed and 

 equal. It is about three inches long, and is characteristic of the north of Italy. 

 A hybrid between Alhurnu^ alhariiellna and Leiiciscus iikllva is described 

 by Dr. Giinther as having sixteen rays in the anal fin, forty-four striated scales 

 in the lateral line, with the base of the fins orange-coloured^ and a dark band 

 along the sides of the body. The fish is four inches long. It is found in the 

 River Narenta, 



Alburnus mento (Agassiz). 



D. 11, A. 17—11), V. 9—10, p. 1.5, C. 19. 

 Scales: lat. line G5— -08, transverse 11 — 7. 



The body of this fish (Fig-. 135) is rather elong-ated, from five and a half to 

 six times as long as high. The greatest breadth is about half the height. The 

 snout elongates a little with age, but is never longer than the diameter of the 

 eye. The eye is about one-quarter of the length of the head, and separated 

 from the other eye by one and a half times its diameter. The nares are 

 nearer to the eye than the snout. The mouth is oblique. Its ang^le scarcely 

 reaches back to the anterior nares. The lower jaw is more thickeuorl than in 

 the other species, and so has the aspect of projecting in front of the upper jaw. 



The dorsal contour is a very flat arch, which in old age becomes nearly 



