;il6 THE FKESII-WATER FISHES OF EUROPE. 



iS'. ilentt'.r. The ventral contour is rather less arched than the dorsal profile. 

 The part of the tail behind the anal fin is conspicuously lon^^. 



The dorsal fin has eleven jointed rays^ the longest of which are equal to 

 those of the anal fin. The adipose fin is larg-e and long-. The ventral fins are 

 imder the last third of the base of the dorsal ; their longest rays are scarcely 

 shorter than those of the anal. The longest rays of the pectoral are equal to 

 the terminal rays of the caudal. The caudal fin is but little notched ; it 

 has seventeen jointed rays, two unjointed terminal rays, and five or six trun- 

 cated rays on each side. 



The scales are about the same size as those in S. ohttisirosfris. At the 

 beginning of the dorsal fin there are twenty scales above the lateral line. 

 The perforated scales in the lateral line are the smallest of all. The scales 

 become small on the belly, and are a little larger on the sides of the tail. The 

 lateral line runs nearly horizontally in the middle of the height in the hinder 

 two-thirds of the body. Ten distinct pores may be traced on the branch of the 

 cephalic canal, which runs along the lower jaw. 



The colour of this species is peculiar. The whole of the head is covered 

 with large brownish-black patches, which are drawn out longitudinally, and 

 give an irregular banded a])])earance, comparable to the watering on silk. The 

 free edges of the scales are silvery, but there is a band of black pigment, 

 where they cover each other laterally, giving the fish a delicately cross- 

 barred aspect; but there are no sj)ots on the body, caudal, or other fins. 



Salmo labrax (Pallas). 



D. 10, A. 9. 



The flesh of this fish is esteemed as food, and becomes red in cooking. It 

 is common in the Crimea, being often speared at the entrance to the harbour of 

 Sevastopol, and is taken with spears or nets about Kherson. It has very much 

 the aspect of Sdhno fario, but there are only ten rays in the dorsal fin, and 

 nine in the anal. The pectoral fins are bluish, and the dorsal has irregular 

 black sjiots. 



