256 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



Classifica- 

 tion — Ma- 

 lacopteri. 



kept 



in confinement tliey ought to be 

 crumbs of bread, small worms, flies. 



fence. When 

 nourished with fine 



and yolks of eg-gs dried and powdered, and the water ouglit 

 to be frequentfy changed. The ordinary length of this 

 species is from' four to six inches ; but they iiave been 

 sometimes known to reach a foot. Although natives of a 

 warm climate, tliey can sustain a great degree of cold un- 

 injured. An individual, which was accidently exposed 

 during the night, «as coniplttely frozen up in the centre 

 of its glass jar; but as the ice thawed it recovered its vigour, 

 and seemed to suffer no further inconvenience. 



The Tench (Tinea Tidgaris) is of a deep yellowish 

 brown, sometimes, however, assuming a fine golden colour. 

 Its usual length is from 12 to 14 inches; but instances 

 are on record of its having reached 3 feet. It inhabits 

 stagnant waters with a muddy bottom; and in the u in- 

 ter conceals itself among the mud, and seems to undergo 

 a kind of torpidity. In May and June it deposits its ova 

 among aquatic plants ; these are very minute, of a green 

 colour, and so nvmierous that 297,000 have been reckoned 

 in one female. The Tench is very extensively distributed, 

 appearing to occur throughout Europe and ISorthern Asia. 



" Quls non et virides vulgi solatia Tineas norit." 



Adsonius. 



Its flesh is not much esteemed, as it is soft, insipid, and 

 difficult of digestion. 



Fig. 82. 

 Lcuciscus brama. 



The Bream (Leiiciscus brama, Valenc.) is common in 

 slow-flowing rivers and lakes in most European countries. 

 It sometimes acq\iires 2k feet in length, but its ordinary 

 dimensions may be stated to be about 1 foot. Worms, 

 confervae, and aqtiatic plants are its usual food ; but like 

 manv allied species, it often swallows mud, which renders 

 it^ flesli unsavoury. "There exists in the River Trent, 

 in the neighbourhood of Newark, two species or varieties 

 of Bream. The common Bream is known there by the 

 name of Carp Bream, from its yellow colour, and has been 

 taken of nearly eight pounds weight. The other species 

 or variety, which I believe to be a nondescript, never ex- 

 ceeds a pound in weight. It is of a silvery hue, and goes 

 by the name of Wliite Bream." 



Leuciscus riitiliis (Valenc.) is the Gordon of French 

 fishermen, and the Rodshalle (Red-scale), or Bodfisk (Red- 



fish), of the Danes. In some parts of Germany it is named Classifica- 



, « tion — Sla- 



'/-'^ik _> ^V >V. \v lacopteri. 



/ 



Fig. 83. 

 Lettclsctts nttilus. 



Rotha)ige, but in general it is called in that country Rocfie, 

 an appellation evidently identical with its English one. 



The Chub, named in Cumberland Skelly, is a well 

 known English fish, and has received its northern appella- 

 tion (quasi Scaly) from the size of its scales. 



Fig. 8i. 

 Lejtciscrts eephahts. 



English ichthyologists have all given it tlie specific name 

 of cephahis, but M. Valenciennes remarks that the term 

 cephalus Mas applied by Linna;us to an assemblage of an 

 eri/thrinus with the tenth species of Artedi, which itself 

 comprehends seveial European Cyprini. He therefore 

 eniplovs the specific name of Jeses, also Linnaan, to de- 

 note the Chtib of Ensriand, which is the Jentling or Brat- 

 Jrsrfi of the Danube, and the Jeies or Jese of the Oder. 

 Leur. p/io,riiius (common minnow) is familiar to all. It 

 is the smallest sjiecies of the genus found in Europe, the 

 greatest length which it attains seldom exceeding 3 inches. 

 It first makes its a]ipearance in Jlarch, and disappears in 

 October, passing the winter beneath the mud. It is well 

 known to be a gregarious species, and small shoals are 

 to be found in almost every sliallow stream, especially in 

 clear weather, as thev seem to delight in warmth and sun- 

 shine. They usually spawn in the month of June, but 

 their ova are. often found at a much later period. The 

 flesh of the minnow is delicate and well-flavom-ed, but its 

 size is too small to admit of its being of much value as an 

 article of food. It is principally used as a bait for the 

 ca])ture of larger kinds. 



Family XVII.— CYPRINID.-E. 



Caprinoidei, Agass. A small, soft, toothless oral orifice, the upper 

 half formed by the' pre-maxillaries only, the raaxillaries lying be- 

 hind them; no teeth except on the bones circumscribing the pos- 

 terior aperture of the mouth; under pharyngeals armed with one 

 large tooth ; upper pharyngeal wanting. On the base of the cranium, 

 or basi-occipital, and opposed to th'- under pharyngeals, there is a 

 projecting process covered for the most part by a horny plate. Most 

 ha\e scales (Aitlopti'je, Ileck., is an exception). No adipose fin. 

 .Siphonal stomach ; no pancreatic cjeca ; swim-bladder in most 

 divided into a fore and hinder part, and connected with the acoustic 

 organs by a chain of ossicles. The presence or absence of supple- 

 mentary branchia:' varies with the genera. Colitis and Acayithopsisj 

 having bony coverings to the swim-bladder, ally themselves to the 

 other Cyprinidcs, as Clarias, Ileterobranchtts, Heteropneustes, and 



