: :. . aa - 



LEUI is m. 



.and the 



are of moderate si*e, 60 forming the later*! line, 

 above which there an 7 in an obliqu. line under the donal an, and 

 Mo* the lateral line then are 4. The length of the bead, compared 

 with thai of the bead and body alone, U at two to nine, an.l the depth 

 at the body if equal to the length of the bead. The donal fin com- 

 i about half- war between the anterior edge of the eye and the 

 B. The 



i of tho tail-fin. 



colouring U the aune ai in the Dace, except- 



taf thai the pectoral, ventral, and anal fins are pale orange-red. In 

 Ike Bomber of the An-rays it agree* with the Dace. 



Y anvil, the Graining. Pennant appear* to be 



L. 



t: , : 



* author who noticed thu fish, but iU characters wen never 



dearly denned until Mr. Yarrell'i account appeared in the < Transac- 

 tion, of the Linn.. Socirty' vol xviL, p. 7. pL 2, fig. 1. .M. Agassi. 



haring rxamiaed the apeciee when in England, immediately recognised 

 it ai an inhabitant of aome of the lakes of Switzerland. In this 

 country it appear* to be chiefly, if not wholly, confined to the Mersey 

 and eome streams connected with that river, where it ia met with in 

 considerable abundance. 



The adult Graining is from about 7 to 9 inches in length : the 

 length of the head, compared to the whole length of the body and 

 tail, is as one to six ; and the depth of the body, compared to the 

 whole length, a* one to five ; the noee is more rounded than in the 

 Dec*, the eye is rather larger ; the pre-operculum is less angular, the 

 donal line is lees convex, and the scales are rather larger and wider. 

 The donal fin commences exactly half-way between the point of the 

 ose sad the base of the tail-fin. There are 48 scales in the Uteral 

 line, those ia the oblique line from the dorsal fin to the Uteral line 

 an 8 in number, and below this line to the ventral fins there are 4. 

 The top of the bead, the back, and upper port of the sides are of a 

 pale-drab colour tinged with bluish-red, separated from the lighter- 

 coloured inferior parts by a well-defined boundary-line. The irides 

 are yellowish-white ; cheeks and gill-covers shining silvery- white, tinged 

 with yellow; all the fins pale yellowish-white. The fin-rays are 

 dorsal, ; pectoral, 17 ; ventral, 10 ; anal, 11 : and caudal, 19. 



L. /Jut, Cuvier, the Ide, a species which is found in Norway, Sweden, 

 Denmark, Russia, and some other parts of Europe, is said to have 

 been taken at the mouth of the Nith. Its form U somewhat bulky, 

 compared with the other species here described. " The head is large, 

 and appears somewhat truncated ; the muzzle blunt ; the mouth small, 

 without teeth, as ia the case also with the other species of this exten- 

 sive family ; the upper jaw rather the longer ; the eye of moderate 

 sue ; the dorsal line convex ; abdominal fine almost straight ; the 

 scales of the body large ; the lateral line curved in its descent from 

 the upper edge of the operculum to the centre of the body. The fin- 

 rays in number are dorsal, 10; pectoral 17 ; ventral, 11 ; anal. 13; 

 caudal, 19; vertebra, 41. 



" In colour the iridee are straw-yellow, the pupils black ; forehead, 

 MBS, and back, very dark bluish-black ; the sides bluish-gray ; the 

 belly white; pectoral fin orange; ventral* immediately under the 

 donal fin, red in the middle, the first and last rays white ; base of 

 the anal fin white, the other part red ; donal fin and tail gray; all the 

 rays branched." (YarrelL) 



L. Ctfkalta, Flem., the Chub, is of a moderately elongated and 

 thick form. The greatest depth of the body U contained four times 

 and a half in the entire length, and the thickness is equal to two-thirds 

 of the depth. The musxle is somewhat obtuse, and the gape large. 

 The scales are large; the number forming the lateral fine is 44. 

 Above this there are 6 scales in the oblique line to the donal fin ; and 

 below the lateral line there are 8 in the oblique line to the ventral fin. 

 The donal On commences half-way between the point of the nose and 

 the base of the tail-fin ; and the ventral commences in the same 

 vertical line as the donal The fin-ray, are dorsal, 10 ; pectoral, 16 ; 

 ventral, ; anal, 11 ; and caudal, 19. The colour of the upper parts 

 { "ky-7. U Wes of the body and belly silvery-white ; the 

 laUral scale* an dotted with, black : on the cheeks and gill-ooven 

 then is a golden hue ; the irides are very pale yellow ; dorsal and 

 caudal Aae dusky ; pectorals pale ; anal and ventral fins tinged with 

 red, with the exception of the two or three last rays. 



The Chub is common in many of the rivors of this country, often 

 frwqaeoUag bole* new the roots of trees. It live* upon insects and 

 worms, spawns ia April and May, and rarely attains a weight 

 exceeding A ve pounds, 



The nmaming specie* of Ltmeitaa belong to the second division; 

 that is to say, they have the donal An placed above the intervening 

 pace between taw anal* and the ventral 



Cuvier, the Kud, or Red-Eye, somewhat 

 the Roach ia form ; its body however is higher and thicker, 

 and is distinctly raised at the fore part of the dorsal fin, so as to form 

 a obtaM angle. The greeteet depth of the body i* rather more than 

 *** [ofth. ecrtre length, and the bead is ooe-Afth ; the thickness 

 I* not half the depth. The moat U obtese, the mouth small, the 

 lower jaw. slightly exceeding the upper in length. The scales are 

 Urge : the number contained in the Uteral line U about forty. In an 

 obfiqoe line aeceoding to the donal An there an seven, and below the 

 lateral line to the ventral there an four. The donal An commences 

 halfway between the point of the noee and the end of the shorter 

 tail-raya. The An*my. an-dond, 10; pectoral, 16; ventral, 9; 

 , 1J; oaodal, 1. The upper pert* are of an olivaceous colour 



tinged with green and blue ; the sides and the belly golden-orange; 

 iridee orange-red; dorsal and caudal fins dusky; pectorals pale; 

 aual and veutrals tinged with red, excepting two or three of the 

 last rays. 



The Rud is found not uncommonly in rivers and other deep waters 

 in various parts of England. It spawns ia April or May, and feeds 

 upon worms, Mutinied, and vegetable substances. 



L. aendeui, Yatrell, the Axurine, a beautiful species, first described 

 by Mr. Yarrell, from specimens received from Knowsley in Lancashire, 

 approaches the Roach in shape, but is more tapered anteriorly and 

 posteriorly, and is at once distinguished by its colour, which is slate- 

 Hue above and on the aides of the body, with the lower parts silvery- 

 white, and by the position of the dorsal fin. This commences half-way 

 between the eye and the end of the fleshy portion of the tail The 

 fins are white, the donal and caudal inclining to dusky. The greatest 

 depth of the body ia rather more than the entire length, and the head 

 is equal to one-fifth of the length. The scales are rather large ; the 

 number contained in the lateral line is about forty-two. In an 

 oblique line, from the dorsal fin to the lateral line, there are seven 

 scales, and below the lateral Hue to the origin of the ventral there are 

 three. The fin-rays are dorsal, 10 ; pectoral, 15 ; ventral, 9 ; aual, 

 12 ; caudal, 19. 



The only locality in England in which this fish is found is in the 

 township of Knowsley. Mr. Yarrell however is informed by M. Agassi* 

 that it is an inhabitant of some of the Swiss lakes. 



L. alburnus, Curier, the Bleak, is of a more slender and elongated 

 form than either of the preceding. The tail is very long and deeply 

 forked. The greatest depth of the body is equal to one-fifth of the 

 entire length, and the greatest thickness is about half the depth : the 

 lower part projects beyond the upper. The scales are of moderate 

 size, the number contained in the lateral line being about forty-eight. 

 The dorsal fin commences half-way between tho anterior edge of the 

 eye and the end of the short central rays of the tail : the anal fin 

 commences in a vertical line under the base of tho last ray of the 

 donal, and occupies half the space between its commencement and 

 the base of the tail. The number of fin-rays are dorsal, 10; 

 pectoral, 17 ; ventral, 9 ; anal, 18 ; caudal, 19. The general colour is 

 silvery-white, which is shaded into an olivaceous green on the upper 

 parts ; all the fins are whitish ; the irides are silvery. 



The Bleak is a small species, rarely attaining eight inches in length, 

 and is usually about six or seven inches long. It ia common in many 

 parts of Europe, as well as of this country, usually occurring in the 

 same streams as the Roach and Dace ; it swims in great shoals, and 

 spawns in May. The position of the fin, and colour of the eye and 

 fins, render it easy to distinguish the species from the Dace, which it 

 approaches nearest in general appearance. 



L. fi/iazinut, Cuvier, the Minnow, or Minim. This pretty little fish, 

 a well-known inhabitant of most of our running streams, appears to 

 depart somewhat from the typical species of Lcucitciu. Its form is 

 slender and rounded, the greatest depth being about one-fifth of the 

 entire length, and the thickness equal to half the depth. The fins 

 are proportionately large, especially the donal, anal, and caudal The 

 last is not very deeply forked, and has the extremities somewhat 

 rounded. The dorsal fin commences about half-way between the 

 anterior edge of the eye and the end of the fleshy portion of the tail 

 The lateral line is straight from the tail to above the origin of the 

 ventral fin, when it rises gradually to the upper edge of the operculum. 

 The fin-rays are dorsal, 9; pectoral, 16; ventral, 8; anal, 9; and 

 caudal, 19. The top of the head and back are of a dusky olive 

 colour; the sides of the body are paler and mottled ; the belly is 

 white and of a fine rosy pink tint in the summer, varying in intensity 

 according to the vigour of the fish ; the irides and gill-covers are 

 silvery ; the donal fin is pale brown ; the other fins are paler, 

 excepting the tail, which is light brown, with a dark brown spot at 

 the base of the rays. 



The scales of several of these fishes have been used in the manufac- 

 ture of artificial pearls. " On the inner surface of roach, dace, bleak, 

 whitebait, and other fishes," writes Mr. Yarrell, " is found a silvery 

 pigment which gives the lustre those scales possess. Advantage has 

 been taken of the colouring matter thus afforded to imitate, artificially, 

 the oriental pearl When this practice was most in fashion, tho 

 manufactured prnamente bore the name of patent pearl, aud tho use 

 was universal in the bead-trade for necklaces, ear-drops, Ac. At 

 present it seems confined to ornaments attached to combs, or small 

 beads arranged with flowers for head-dresses. So great was the 

 demand formerly at particular times, that the price of a quart- 

 measure of fish-scales has varied from one guinea to five. The Thames 

 fishermen gave themselves no trouble beyond taking off the side 

 scales, and throwing the fish into the river again ; and it was tho 

 custom for hawkers, regularly, before selling any White-Fish, as they 

 were called, to supply the bead-makers with the scales. The method 

 of obtaining and using the colouring matter was, first carrying off the 

 slime aud dirt from the scales by a run of water ; then, soaking them 

 for a time, the pigment was found at the bottom of the vessel When 

 thus produced, small glass tubes were dipped in, and the pigment 

 injected into thin hollow glass beads of various forma and sizes. 

 These were then spread on sieves, and dried in a current of air. If 

 greater weight and firmness were required, a further injection of wax 



