THE BABBEL. 79 



are very frequently found. The large intestine or colon of the barbel 

 is sometimes studded with the Echinoshynchus anthuris. This creature, 

 be it remembered, has a head cone-shaped, studded with incredibly 

 sharp thorns set barb-wise. It seems to bore like an auger, or, better 

 still, like the teredo worm, which so frequently pierces and destroys 

 the bottoms of wood ships sailing in the tropical seas. A finely-mounted 

 specimen of the head of an anthuris was exhibited at the conversazione 

 of the Quekett Microscopical Club by Mr. W. Smart, on the 13th of 

 April 1877. 



The cestodes, or larval tapeworms, are also very common in the intes- 

 tines of barbel, and I recently took one (Ligula digramma of Cieplin) 

 from a fish of21b., which measured 18in. Barbus vulgaris seemed very little 

 the worse in condition for his intrusive lodger. This worm finds its 

 host, and progresses to its full development, in the heron or moorhen. 



Amongst other diseases incidental to barbel may be mentioned, as 

 most virulent of all, the malignant pustule, and next to this a soreness, 

 which seems to result from the fish in certain situations incessantly 

 rubbing itself against concrete blocks or limestone buttresses of 

 bridges, or anything, in fact, which contains lime. I have met with 

 cases of this kind where the barbel seemed disabled in the pectoral fins 

 from this disorder. A ' ' leperous ' ' conf ervoid growth also afflicts 

 this fish, which, together with the former complaint, as in the case of 

 the carp, may be cured by rubbing the affected parts with salt and 

 turning the patient in again. 



Barbel also seem to die from obstructions caused by their ravenous 

 consumption in spring of the before mentioned Conferva rivualis, a bright 

 green weed which in the Lea has been eminently successful in the capture 

 of roach during late years. 



Jonston refers to Albertus as witness that in the Danube as 

 many as ten cart-loads have been caught by hand on one occasion 

 only. Ansonius, speaking of the Moselle barbel, avers that it is best 

 for eating when it grows old just the reverse of the carp, it may 

 be remarked. Juvenal also reverts to the fish with familiarity, as if 

 it were well known in the Roman cuisine. I may be allowed to 

 give a free translation of the passages. In the philippic against 

 Cryspinus it is said: "He gave six sestertia for a barbel six pounds 

 weight, amounting to a sestertium a pound, as they tell the story who 



hear great matters, but make them greater by telling What ! 



give so much for fins and scales ? No doubt you might have bought 

 the fisherman cheaper than the fish. Acres might have been purchased 

 in some provinces ; in Apulia you might have come into an estate 

 for the same price." The quotation certainly justifies the inference 



