CYPRINUS] PISCES (OSSEI) MALACOPT. 413 



LENGTH. From twelve to fourteen inches. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) General appearance resembling that of the Roach, 

 but the body deeper and thicker; the back more arched, and forming 

 a slightly salient angle at the commencement of the dorsal fin ; ventral 

 line very convex anteriorly, but behind, along the base of the anal, 

 nearly straight; tail suddenly contracting before the caudal: head 

 small: snout short; lower jaw projecting beyond the upper : lateral line 

 bending downwards; its course, beneath the commencement of the dorsal, 

 at about two-thirds of the depth : scales large ; number in the lateral line 

 forty-one; above it seven and a half; beneath three and a half: dorsal 

 fin entirely behind the middle, as well as the ventrals ; first ray only half 

 the length of the second ; all the rays except the first two branched : anal 

 commencing a little beyond the termination of the dorsal : caudal deeply 

 forked : pectorals about the length of the head : ventrals a little shorter, 

 situate exactly half-way between the pectorals and the vent : 



D. 11; A. 14; C. 19, &c.; P. 14; V. 9. 



(Colours.) Back olivaceous ; sides and belly golden-orange, the metallic 

 lustre very brilliant in the living fish, but fading soon after death : irides 

 orange : dorsal and pectorals dusky, tinged with red ; ventrals, anal, and 

 caudal, bright vermilion, the two former pale at the base. 



Found in rivers and other deep waters, not uncommonly. Recorded 

 by Willughby as inhabiting the lakes of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, 

 and the river Cherwell in Oxfordshire. Is also met with in the 

 Thames, Stour, and Cam; very abundantly in some parts of the river 

 last mentioned, where it is called a Shallow. Feeds on worms, mollusca, 

 and vegetable substances. Spawns in April or May. Weight from one 

 to one and a half, rarely two pounds. 



94. C. cceruleus. Nob. (Azurine.) Depth moderate : 

 lower jaw longest: anal with fourteen rays: sides and 

 abdomen silvery; all the fins plain white. 



Leuciscus cseruleus, Yarr. in Linn. Trans, vol. xvn. p. 8. pi. 2. 

 f. 2. Azurine, Id. Brit. Fish. vol. i. p. 365. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) General form resembling that of the last species : 

 greatest depth rather more than one-fourth of the entire length ; head 

 one-fifth ; thickness not half the depth : back arched ; the dorsal line 

 descending in one regular curve to the end of the snout, without any 

 depression at the nape; ventral line much less convex: snout blunt; 

 mouth small; lower jaw a little the longest: eyes rather large: nostrils 

 midway between them and the upper lip : opercle marked with radiating 

 lines : lateral line descending ; its lowest point at rather more than two- 

 thirds of the depth : scales large, oval, marked anteriorly and posteriorly 

 with a variable number of radiating stria3; number in the lateral line 

 about forty-one; above it seven and a half; beneath three and a half: 

 dorsal entirely behind the middle, commencing half-way between the 

 posterior edge of the orbit of the eye and the base of the caudal fin ; 

 its form and rays as in the last species: anal commencing nearly in 

 a line with the last ray of the dorsal ; first ray extremely short and 

 easily overlooked ; second half the length of the third ; third and fourth 

 equal and longest; all except the first three branched: caudal forked 

 for half its length : pectorals and ventrals as in the Red-Eye, the latter 



