192 BRITISH FRESHWATER FISHES 



of the head ; the mouth is large, its cleft often 

 reaching the vertical from the anterior edge of the 

 eye. The pharyngeal teeth resemble those of the 

 Roach in structure, but are arranged in two series, 

 five in the inner and two in the outer on each side. 

 There are forty-two to forty-nine scales in the 

 lateral line, seven or eight in a transverse series from 

 the origin of the dorsal fin to the lateral line, and 

 three or four from the latter to the base of the 

 pelvic fin. The branched rays in the dorsal and 

 anal fins number seven to nine ; the former 

 originates a little behind the base of the pelvic fins, 

 and has the free edge straight or a little convex, 

 v^hilst the latter is always distinctly convex. The 

 coloration is silvery, or in larger specimens coppery, 

 with the back greenish or brownish ; each scale is 

 dark at the base; the dorsal, caudal, and pectoral 

 fins have the colour of the back, and the pelvic and 

 anal fins are usually reddish. 



The Chub is found all over Europe except in the 

 extreme north and the Iberian Peninsula ; in the 

 latter, however, it is represented by a closely related 

 form ; it also ranges through Asia Minor to Persia. 

 In Britain it occurs in most rivers south of the Firth 

 of Forth, except in West Wales, Devon, and 

 Cornwall, but it is absent from Ireland. 



In this country the Chub grows to a length of 

 about 2 feet and a weight of 8 lbs., but in some of 

 the larger rivers on the Continent a weight of i 2 lbs. 

 is attained. Two fine examples, 23 inches long, 

 from the Hampshire Avon, were exhibited at the 

 Sports Exhibition held in Vienna in 19 10. One, 

 weighing 7 lbs. 6J oz., was caught by Mr. F. W. 

 Smith ; the other, a fish of 7 lbs. 5 oz., by Mr. E. J. 



