124 THE FRESH-WATER FISHES OF EUROPE. 



of the total length, exclusive of the caudal fin. The head is flat above, rather 

 depressed, with a pointed and somewhat prolonged snout, so that the mouth is 

 inferior in position. The lips are thick, the barbels are rather long, the upper 

 barbel reaching beyond the front margin of the orbit, and the lower to the angle 

 of the pre-operculum. The eye is in front of the middle of the head, its 

 diameter being one-sixth of the length of the head in the full-grown fish, and 

 two-fifths of the length of the snout. There are four or five longitudinal 

 series of scales between the lateral line and the ventral fin. 



The dorsal fin commences in the middle of the length of the fish, excluding 

 the caudal. The anal fin is very narrow and pointed ; the length of its base is 

 fully two-fifths of its height, but when laid backwards it does not extend to 

 the caudal. The caudal fin is as long as the head, but with the middle ray 

 one-third of the length of the outer rays, so that it is deeply forked and has 

 pointed lobes. The pectoral fin extends back to the twelfth scale of the lateral 

 line. The ventral fin is somewhat shorter than the pectoral, and commences 

 opposite to the spine of the dorsal. 



The scales have numerous radiating rays. The colour is uniform greenish, 

 with a silvery lustre, and a darker stripe along each series of scales. The 

 dorsal and caudal fins are blackish. 



Barbus chalybeatus (PALLAS). 



This Russian Barbel has the body and fins marbled and spotted with black. 

 The head somewhat resembles that of Misgurnus fossilis in its elongated form 

 and colouring. The snout is conical ; the upper jaw extends beyond the mandible. 

 The lips are fleshy. There are ten series of scales above, and eight 

 below, the lateral line. Individuals reach a length of nine inches, but Nordmann 

 describes no specimens above- seven inches long in the south of Russia. It is 

 found in the rivers between the Black Sea and the Caspian, and is common in 

 the south of the Caspian Sea, where it enters the River Koora. It is also 

 found in the Sea of Aral. 



Among Russian Barbels Dr. Grimm enumerates Barbus taurieus (Kessler) 

 in the small rivers of the Crimea ; and many other species, chiefly found in the 

 River Koora, and described by Kessler, Filippi, Giildenstadt, and Gmelin. 



HYBRID BETWEEN BARBUS BOCAGEI AND CHONDROSTOMA POLYLEPIS. 

 Professor Steindaclmer found a fish in the Rivers Tagus, Ebro, and 

 Guadiana, by no means rare, which he regards as a hybrid between the species 

 above named. It has the form and pharyngeal teeth of Barbus bocagei, with 

 similar barbels to the jaws, and a serrated bony ray to the dorsal fin ; but the 

 jaws, especially the lower jaw, have the same broad, cutting, horny sheath 



