118 THE ANGLER-NATURALIST. 



Genus BARBUS * 



THE BARBEL. 



(JBarbus vulgaris^.) 



The Barbel is distinguished from the last genus (Cypri- 

 nus) in having the back and anal fins short instead of 

 elongated, with a strong bony ray in the dorsal fin, the 

 mouth also being furnished with four barbels or ' beards/ 



Although, in an angling point of view, less wary and 

 difficult of capture than the Carp, the Barbel, both in its 

 natural state and in confinement, is the shyest and most 

 untameable of all our fish, except perhaps the Loach, exhi- 

 biting a degree of reserve and intolerance of observation 

 rarely met with. In the spring, however, when the fish 

 seek the gravelly shallows to spawn, they become very 

 lively, and at this season may frequently be seen tumbling 

 and rolling about, with their bodies half out of the water, 

 like a shoal of porpesses. Amongst some specimens kept 

 in a vivarium, it was observed that, when they fancied 

 no one was looking, they would plunge and rub themselves 



* ' Bearded/ from barba, a beard, Lat. t vulffaris, common, Lat. 



