THE ASP. 



59 



arrangements been good, which was far from tne case, the 

 slaughter would have been much greater, and very few would 

 have escaped us. 



CYPRINUS ASPIUS. 



Cyprinus Aspius, " Retz. Faun. Suec.," p. 359. 



"NUss. Prod.," p. 28. 



Aspius rapax, " Agass. Kroyer," p. 500. 



The Asp (Asp, Sw. ; C. Aspius, Linn.), which is altogether 

 unknown to us in England, was common both in the Gotha 

 and the Wenern, as also in all the midland and more 

 northern parts of Scandinavia. Lsestadius describes it as 

 plentiful in Lapland ; but from the period at which he 

 states it to spawn, I strongly suspect he has confounded it 

 with one or other of the Coregoni. What its limits may 

 be to the southward, I know not. 



It is a leather-mouthed fish, the scales large, colour 

 whitish, and in shape as well as in some of its habits it is 

 not altogether dissimilar to the salmon tribe. 



The most remarkable feature about the asp is the greater 

 elongation of the lower jaw, which, as depicted in the portrait, 

 extends considerably beyond the upper. 



