GUDGEON. 



325 



ABDOMINAL 

 MALACOPTERrCll. 



CYPRINIDjE. 



THE GUDGEON. 



GoUofiuviatilis, Willughby, p. 264, Q. 8, fig. 4. 

 ,, ,, Gudgeon, Flem. Brit. An. p. 186, sp. 60. 



,, ,, CuviER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 273. 



Cyprinus gobio, Linnsus. Bloch, pt. i. pi. 8, fig. 2. 



,, ,, Gudgeon, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 476. 



Don. Brit. Fish. pi. 71. 



Generic Characters. — The species of this subgenus have, like those of the 

 last, the dorsal and anal fins short ; are furnished with barbules or cirri about 

 the mouth, but have no strong, bony, serrated ray at the commencement of 

 either the dorsal or anal fins. In other respects like Cyprinus. 



The Gugdeon is found in many streams that in their 

 course flow over gravelly soils : it appears to delight in slow 

 rivers that have shallow scours over which the current of the 

 water is increased. The Thames, Mersey, Colne, Kennet, 

 and the Avon, produce abundance of the finest Gudgeons. 

 Daniel, in his Rural Sports, says they thrive well in ponds 

 that are supplied with fresh water from brooks running into 

 them. Gudgeons swim together in shoals, feeding on worms, 

 aquatic insects and their larvse, small molluscous animals, 

 ova, and fry, affording excellent amusement to those anglers 

 who are satisfied with numbers rather than weight ; the 



