ABKA.MIDINICS. 



791 



Genus ALBURNUS. 



Begitininn af the dorsal ,tiii situated at a distance from the tip of the snmtt less thai) three times the length of 

 ' the head. Leiiiith of the hase of the anal fin less than \',-, {between IC and is %) of that of the hody, and also 

 1 less than that of the head. Pectoral fins loiiffer than the hnigest ray in the dorsal fin. Point of the lower jaw 

 i projecti)i(i distinctl/i hei/ond the tip <fi the snout. Scales thin and deciduous: nucleus situated in 



the anterior Ixdf of the scale. 



Tho genus uf the Bleaks, according to (jruXTiiEKis 

 Catalogue, contains 15 recognised species from Europe 

 and Soutlnvestern Asia, most of them described by 

 Hi'.CKEL from the latter region, which thus seems to 

 lie the true home of the genus. They are small, but 

 li\elv tishes, readily attracting attention in rivers and 

 lakes, where they si)ort at the surface in chase of in- 

 sects, or in eager contest for every breadcrumb thrown 

 to them. 



They are distinguished from the other genera of 

 the subfamily, with the exception of the "Ziege", by 

 their comparativelj' low dorsal lin, generally lower even 

 than in the preceding subfamilj^, excluding the Minnow. 

 But cm comparing the height of the dorsal fin \vith 

 the length of the pectorals — a relation which is not 

 without importance in preserving the e(|uilibrium of 



the l)ody — we find that in this respect the Bleaks and 

 the Ziege i-ank with the adult Leuciscines, except the 

 Roach, where, as in young specimens of the Scandi- 

 navian Leuciscines in general, the length of the pec- 

 toral fins is less than that of the longest ray in the 

 dorsal fin. The majority of the Scandinavian Abrami- 

 dines, on the other hand, thus retain, Jike the Roach, 

 in this respect one of the characters of youth among 

 the Leuciscines. 



The name of the genus dates even from the time 

 of AusoNius". LiSN^us employed it in a specific sig- 

 nification; but Heckel restored it to the generic rank 

 it had occupied in Rondelet'', and separated'' the 

 Bleaks under this name from the other Cyijrinoid 

 genera. Rondelet's Alburnus, however, was evident!)' 

 distinct from this genus. 



" Tlic toutinuation of the lines quoted above (p. 751) from the Mosella of AcsONius runs: 

 "Et Alburnos prsedam puerilibus harais?" 

 "And Bleak, an easy catcli for angling boys." 



'' De Pise, part. II, p. 208. 



■■ Riisscijgers Beiseii, 1 Bd., 2 Th., p. 1036. 



