THE COMMON CARP. 1 



H E family of Carps (Cyprmidcz) belongs 

 to the first Order of fishes, Malacop- 

 terygii, or those having almost all their 

 fin-rays soft and flexible, and the genus 

 Cyprimis, or true Carps (the first genus of this 

 family), are distinguished by the body being 

 always covered with large scales ; a single long 

 back-fin ; the lips fleshy ; mouth small ; teeth in the 

 throat, but none in the jaws ; and three gill-rays. 

 To the family Cyprinidce belong no less than 

 twenty-two species found by ichthyologists in our 

 fresh waters; including the Roach, Dace, Chub, 

 Barbel, and Bream, constituting some of the most 

 prominent of the so-called " coarse fish," regarded 

 as objects of interest from the sportsman's point of 

 view. 



The common Carp is the typical fish, and there- 

 fore occupies first place in right of precedence 

 ichthyological. The specimen selected for illustra- 

 tion was taken from the Obelisk ponds in Windsor 



1 Cyprimts carpio. Cyprinus, a Carp ; carpio, the Carp, Lat. 



