120 THE SPORTING FISH 



the Salmon-Trout. It is, however, in small esteem 

 for the table, at which in this country it seldom 

 makes its appearance though frequently figuring 

 in French and German 7nemis. Indeed, I remem- 

 ber an English country-house on the banks of the 

 Thames where a dish of Barbel was a not uncom- 

 mon and much appreciated addition to the break- 

 fast-table. The fish was baked in a large open 

 pie-dish, with plenty of cloves and spices — whether 

 with or without vinegar or other sauce or gravy I 

 am not sure — but the jelly it formed when cold 

 was as firm as that of strong soup. 



It has been observed that many species of the 

 Carp family have the power of emitting a guttural 

 sound under water, although the mechanism by 

 which this is effected is not understood — no air- 

 bubble escaping from the mouth of the fish at the 

 time — and amongst the species producing these 

 sounds the Barbel is particularly noted. 



Besides those already mentioned, the principal characteris- 

 tics of the Barbel are — Mouth toothless ; throat-teeth in three 

 rows on each side, the rows numbering 2, 3, and 5 respectively. 

 Body elongated. Length of head compared with total length 

 of fish as I to 5 ; depth of body less than length of head. 

 Head elongated, wedge-shaped ; upper half of jaw much the 

 longer. Upper lip circular and fleshy. One pair of barbels at 

 the front of the nose, and a single one at the end of upper lip 

 on each side. Third ray of back-fin largest and strongest, 

 toothed on its hinder surface. Tail deeply forked at the end. 

 Colour (taken from a Thames fish weighing about 6 lbs., 

 caught Sept., 1885, by Percy Mitchell, Esq.) : back, and back- 

 fin olive brown, with a bronzy tone ; head the same ; iridcs and 



