Class IV. BARBEL CYPRINE. 473 



Laxos exerces Barbe nalatus, 

 Tu melior pejore cevo, (Hi contigit uni 

 Spirantum ex numero non inlaudata senectus. 



They frequent the still and deep parts of 

 rivers, and live in society, rooting like swine 

 with their noses in the soft banks. They are 

 so tame as to suffer themselves to be caught 

 with the hand ; and people have been known to 

 take numbers by diving for them. In summer 

 they move about during night in search of food, 

 but towards autumn, and during winter, confine 

 themselves to the deepest holes. They are the . 



worst and coarsest of fresh water fish, and sel- 

 dom eaten but by the poorer sort of people, 

 who sometime boil them with a bit of bacon to 

 give them a relish. The roe is very noxious, 

 affecting those who unwarily eat of it with a 

 nausea, vomiting, purging, and a slight swelling. 



The Barbel is sometimes found of the length Descrip- 

 of three feet, and eighteen pounds in weight; 

 it is of a long and rounded form ; the scales not 

 large. Its head is smooth ; the nostrils placed 

 near the eyes ; the mouth is placed below ; on 

 each corner is a single beard, and another on 

 each side the nose ; the dorsal fin is armed with 

 a remarkable strong spine, sharply serrated, 

 with which it can inflict a very severe wound 



TION. 



