THE CARP FAMILY. 145 



soft substances. A small red worm is perhaps, next to 

 the artificial fly, the best bait for it, though it occasionally 

 takes both paste and gentles. The fish itself forms an 

 excellent live-bait for Pike, particularly in thick water, as 

 its scaling is brilliant so as to be easily seen, and its whole 

 appearance glittering and attractive. 

 The Dace is exclusively a river-fish. 



Principal Characteristics of the Dace. Length of head compared with 

 length of head and body (without tail-fin) as 2 to 9 ; depth of body 

 compared with whole length as 1 to 5. Muzzle pointed. Mouth rather 

 large. Eye and scales smaller than in a Roach of similar size. Body 

 elongated ; back very little convex. Number of scales in lateral line 

 52. Dorsal fin commencing rather further back than in the Roach, 

 the first ray being behind the middle of the body. Throat-teeth in 

 two rows (numbering 2 and 5) on each side, conical, curved inwards 

 at the points. Colour : upper part of head and back dusky blue, 

 growing paler on the sides, and white on the belly ; cheeks and gill- 

 covers silvery white j back- and tail-fins pale brown ; the other fins 

 almost white, with a tinge of pale red. 



Fin-rays : D. 9 : P. 16 : V. 9 : A. 10 : C. 19. 



