BABBITS. 



207 



Sonnini describes the flesh of this fish as of a delicate flavour, and Geoffroy says it is 

 valued by the Egyptians ; but at the present day Europeans agree in regarding it as 

 flabby and insipid. 



The following list of names is supplied by Mr. Loat : — " Binne" (^\ at Cairo, 

 Barrage N. of Cairo, Samannud, Kafr-el-Zayat, Rosetta, Beni Souef, in the Fayum, at 

 Assiut, Sohag, Akhmim, Girga, Nag 'Hamadeh, Assuan, Omdurman ; " helala " (ilia) is 

 the name given at Assiut to the small fish of this species by some fishermen, but not in 



Fig. 24. 



Bronze model of Barb us bynnl. 



Bronze model of Barbus bynni. 



general use, the word " binne " being generally used to indicate both big and small 

 examples ; "hddemer" (^&~^), this word was heard used once by some fishermen who 

 were fishing in a trench which runs into Lake Borollos ; *" mis Id gar" (^L*<), 

 * " dungo " ( yoJ), both in use between Shellal and Wady Haifa ; " shu'a'kar 5 ' (&y^), at 

 Luxor. 



One of the specimens from Samannud bears parasites on the sides. These parasites 

 have been kindly identified by Dr. W. T. Caiman as of the Copepod genus Lernceocera, 



