THE BARBEL. 135 



not much object in fishing for them ; sometimes they 

 weigh as much as 14 lb., but in general are much 

 less. They are gregarious. The colour of the upper 



BARBEL. 



part is greenish-brown, and the under light or whitish. 

 This fish is not found in Scotland. The Gudgeon 

 (Gobio fluviatilis\ a small, pretty fish, which differs in 



GUDGEON. 



colour according to locality, is about 4 or 6 inches 

 long, with a single barbule at the corners of the mouth. 

 The scales are large, and there is a dark line along 

 the body. It is found in the Thames and other rivers. 

 When the fishermen want to catch them they scrape 

 the bed of the river, which draws a crowd of them 

 together. They are called very good for the table 

 when freshly caught. 



The Tench (Cyprinus tinca> or Tinea vulgaris) has 



