BRITISH FRESHWATER FISHES 



Here may be mentioned the hybrid White Bream 

 and Rudd, known on the Continent and perhaps to 

 be met with in our eastern counties. This differs 

 from the Bream x Rudd hybrid in the same way 

 that the White Bream does from the Bream, i.e. the 

 smaller size (maximum length 10 inches), the larger 

 eye, the fewer scales (forty to forty-six in the lateral 

 line, eight or nine from origin of dorsal fin to lateral 

 line), fewer fin-rays (dorsal usually with eight, anal 

 with twelve to seventeen branched rays), and more 

 numerous pharyngeal teeth (2.55.2 to 3.65.3). 



THE BLEAK (Alburnus lucidus] is closely related 

 to the Breams, differing especially in the elongate 

 form of the body and the strongly oblique mouth 

 with the lower jaw projecting. In this species there 

 are seven to nine branched rays in the dorsal fin, 

 and fifteen to twenty in the anal ; the scales in the 

 lateral line number forty - six to fifty - four. The 

 coloration is silvery white, with the back greenish. 



The Bleak is found all over Europe north of the 

 Pyrenees and the Alps ; it is absent from Scotland 

 and Ireland, but is widely distributed in England 

 and Wales, although it does not occur in the Lake 

 District, West Wales, or in the counties bordering 

 the English Channel. 



This is a small species, and specimens of 8 inches 

 are rare ; that figured on PI. XXXI, Fig. i, measures 

 nearly 6 inches. It is a pretty and lively little fish, 

 living in shoals and preferring clear running water ; 

 throughout the summer it sports at the surface, 

 darting about and leaping at the flies, and feeding 

 also on any small worms, shrimps, or larvae which it 

 may find. 



