194 



Far. ? 



RONDELETIAN CARP. 



Cyprinus Rondeletii. Nat. Misc. TO!. 14. t. 556. 

 Cyprini mira species. Ronde/. aquat. 2. p. 155. 

 Spur- Fish. Ediv. glean, pi. 282. 



THIS singular variety seems to have been first de- 

 scribed by v Rondeletius, from a living specimen 

 brought into the fish-market at Lyons at the time 

 his work was printing. 



" No one," says he, " who saw the fish (suppos- 

 ing the head taken away), would imagine it to be 

 any thing but a Carp, which it exactly resembles 

 in the shape and colour of its scales, and situation 

 of the fins and tail. The dorsal fin at its com- 

 mencement has a strong serrated spine, as in the 

 Carp, and a similar one at the commencement of the 

 vent-fin, which latter, as also the tail, is of a reddish 

 colour, and shaped like that of a Carp : at the gills 

 are two fins, and likewise two at the abdomen : the 

 head is not stretched forwards as in the Carp, but 

 resembles that of a Dolphin*, having a longish but 

 obtuse snout, as represented in the figure : from 

 the upper part of the snout, on each side the open- 

 ing of the mouth, hangs a fleshy appendix or beard, 

 as in the Carp, and above this, on each side, is a 

 much smaller one, scarce perceptible without close 

 inspection." 



* Meaning the true Dolphin, or Delphimts Delphis. 



