48 ROACH. 



in some situations of this northern sea, from the flow of rivers 

 the water is rendered so fresh as to admit of living in it, 

 some species that in other countries are confined to inland 

 waters. 



The Roach is generally distributed throughout Europe, 

 except in the more southern parts. It is not known in 

 Cornwall, and in Devonshire only in the lake called Slapton 

 Ley, close to the south border of that county. Neither has 

 it been found in Ireland; and the little esteem in which it is 

 held as food has prevented its being conveyed into the many 

 favourable situations for it which might be found in that 

 country. But although in small regard for the table, it has 

 been held in no small esteem by anglers, as affording lively 

 sport from the eager way in which it takes the hook; in 

 doing which it has obtained a character altogether opposite 

 to that of the subtle Carp. "The Roche," says the Book of 

 St. Albans, "is an easy fysshe to take;" but it is added, "yf 

 he be fatte and pennyd thenne is he good meete." To the 

 more ordinary baits this work closes with recommending the 

 "fatte of bakon." 



The Roach is usually about eight or ten inches in length, 



but sometimes it reaches fourteen or fifteen inches, with a 



depth of nearly the fourth part of the length. The gape is 



small; jaws without teeth; snout somewhat rounded. Outline 



of the body rising gently to the origin of the dorsal fin, 



which is above the root of the ventrals, and from thence 



sloping gradually to the tail. Scales large, easily lost; lateral 



line descending at first, and then proceeding nearer the 



ventral border than to the back. Eye moderate. The dorsal 



fin elevated, its first ray nearer the snout than to the tail; tail 



forked. Anal fin behind the termination of the dorsal, and 



the number of the fin rays equal in both, eleven or twelve in 



number; pectoral rounded, with sixteen rays; ventrals with 



nine; nineteen in the tail. Colour of the back greyish green, 



sometimes with a tinge of brown; sides whitish, with a tint 



of blue or reddish. Dorsal fin and tail dark; anal, ventral, 



and pectoral fins red; but Nilsson remarks that in the younger 



examples the eye is yellow instead of red, and the ventral 



and anal fins only reddish. The air-bladder and pharyngeal 



teeth possess the general characters of the family. 



