THE OERMAN CARP IK THE UNITED STATES. 529 



The length of the head, from the tip of the snout to the posterior 

 edge of the gill-cover or operculum, is in the neighborhood of one- 

 fourth the length of the fish'^, but is usually considerably less than the 

 height. It varies considerably in individuals and with age. The eye 

 is situated slightly less than halfway back on the head and on a line 

 from the tip of the snout to the upper end of the branchial opening. 

 The eyes are not quite circular, but are elongated slightly in a direc- 

 tion parallel to the dorsal side of the head, and their long diameter is 

 contained six to seven times in the length of the head. The mouth 

 when closed is nearly horizontal, the gape reaching about halfway to 

 the anterior margin of the eye. At the corners of the mouth are two 

 short 'barbels, usually a little longer than the diameter of the eye, 

 yellow or reddish in color, which are, however, longer than two olive 

 colored ones on the upper jaw. Both sets are variable, and, according 

 to Seeley (1886, p. iJ5), may be unsymmetrical on the two sides or 

 frequently wanting entirel3\* The lips are rather thick and fleshy, 

 adapted to vegetable feeding, the lower somewhat shorter than the 

 upper. The tongue is smooth. The palate is covered with a white 

 and very sensitive skin ("carp's tongue"). The nostrils lie imme- 

 diately anterior to the eyes and are double, those of each side being 

 separated by a small projecting flap of skin. The anterior nostril is the 

 larger. 



The dorsal fin arises anterior to the median point in the length of 

 the fish and slightly in advance of the ventrals, and extends back even 

 with the posterior end of the anal fin. The base of the dorsal fin equals 

 rather more than a third of the length of the body, and its greatest 

 height (at the second and third soft rays) is equal to about a third of its 

 length. After the first two or three soft rays, of which there are 18 

 to 22 in all, the remainder are ojil}^ one-half to two-thirds as high, so 

 that the free margin of the fin has a rather sharp reentrant angle at 

 this point. Three or four (usuall}^ three) spiny rays precede the soft 

 rays, the most posterior one being the stoutest and longest, with the 

 extreme end usuall}^ soft and flexible; this soft portion is often broken 

 away in older fish, however, leaving the ray with a hard, sharp point. 

 The posterior border of this ray is serrated, the serrations or teeth, 

 which have their points directed downward, lying on each side of a 

 median groove and increasing in size from below upward. 



The height of the anal fin is greater than its length at the base, which 

 is about equal to one-fourth the length of the base of the dorsal. It is 

 composed of 3 spiny rays and 5 or 6 soft, articulated rays. The second 

 stout, spiny i-ay is similar to that of the dorsal fin. The first of the 



aThroughout the description "length" is considered from the tip of the snout to the base of the 

 caudal fin, or, more strictly speaking, to the posterior edge of the hypural bones, which is found in 

 practical measuring by cutting tlie flesh away a little and probing with a steel point. For general 

 purposes this measurement can be taken to tlie last scale in the lateral line. 



61, myself, have noted no cases in whicli they were absent. 



F. C. 1904—34 



