BARBTJS CANINUS. 119 



In the young the head is five and a half times as long as the eye, in the old fish 

 it is six and a half times as long as the eye, and with age the eye recedes a little 

 from the snout. The frontal region is broader than in the preceding species; 

 the mouth is horse-shoe-shaped. The barbels of the upper jaw reach back to 

 the anterior margin of the eye, the barbels at the angle of the mouth reach 

 back to the operculum. Both are longer than in Barbus vnlgaris. 



The dorsal fin is similar in position to that of the preceding species, and like 

 it in size; its bony ray is thin, and finely serrated for one-third of its length. 

 The dorsal and caudal fins are thickly covered with fine blackish- brown dots, 

 but the sides of the tail, the anal and ventral fins are usually unspotted. The 

 largest specimen is over one foot long. The variety which is found in Upper 

 Italy and Dalmatia, and was regarded by Heckel and Kner as the Barb us 

 equcs (Fig. 48), is scarcely five inches long. 



Barbus caninus (CuviEii). 



D. 3/78, A. 3/5, V. 9. Scales : lat. 4852, transverse 10/13. 



The body of this fish (Fig. 49) has much the same general form as in the 

 preceding species. Its height is nearly one-fifth of its length. The tail is sub- 

 cylindrical ; the caudal fin is short, moderately forked, with the middle rays 



Fig. 49. HAKiius CANIXUS (CUVIEK). 



half as long as the outermost rays. Tha head is one-quarter the length of 

 the body. The eye is less than one-fifth of the length of the head. The 

 barbels of the upper jaw are short, and those at the angle of the mouth 

 reach to the hinder border of the eye. Both are shorter than in B. plebejus. 

 The snout is blunt and small. The back is very slightly arched. 



The dorsal fin has the osseous ray no stronger than the others ; it is flexible, 

 and not serrated. This fin is opposite the ventrals, is higher than long, 

 and rather truncated behind. The anal fin is higher than long- ; its 



