AZURINE. 365 



ABDOMINAL 



MALACOPTERYGJl. CYPRINIDJE. 



THE AZURINE. 

 BLUE ROACH. Lancashire. 



Leuciscus catruleus, YARRELL, Linn. Trans, vol. xvii. pt. 1, p. 8. 



AT the time I was favoured by Lord Derby with spe- 

 cimens of the Graining, which has been already noticed, 

 his Lordship also sent me examples of another fish, known 

 provincially by the name of the Blue Roach ; which is not 

 only new to our British catalogue, but which, like the 

 Graining, is not described, as far as I have been able to 

 ascertain, in any of the different works of European ichthy- 

 ologists. M. Agassiz, however, assured me that this fish, 

 like the Graining, is an inhabitant of some of the Swiss 

 lakes, and will be described in his forthcoming work already 

 referred to. 



The localities from which this species is obtained, within 

 the township of Knowsley, are but limited. It is hardy, 

 tenacious of life, and spawns in May. The flesh is said 

 to be firm, of good flavour, and to resemble that of the 



