262 NOTES OK FISH AND FISHING. 



I have a special sympathy with barbel fishermen. 



Our Oyprinus barbatus is a most distinguished member 

 of the carp family, and has a special historic interest for 

 us, owing to the fact that it forms, on " Coat of Bar," one 

 of the four quarterings of Margaret of Anjou, wife of 

 our Henry VI. 



Happily there is no etymological difficulty about his 

 distinctive name, barbus or barbatus ; for it is clear that 

 he derives his appellation from the barbels or beards 

 (barbae) with which his nose and upper lip are furnished. 

 Barbus was the name he was known by to the ancient 

 Latins; and Greeks in Belon's day called their barbels 

 musticata, and do so now for aught I know — a name 

 obviously derived from the old Greek word fivcna^ 

 (mustax), which in Theocritus means "beard on the 

 upper lip," and indicating the barbel as the fish with the 

 " moustache " (mustax) . These barbs, the ichthyologists 

 tell us, enable the fish to find its way about in deep and 

 dark waters, and also give him a discrimination as to the 

 substance with which he comes in contact as he " rootles " 

 like a pig among the stones and mud. 



Walton says the barbel " is of a fine cast and handsome 

 shape," but it can hardly be held that his outline is grace- 

 ful, his " Roman nose " seriously detracting from his 

 symmetry ; while his eyes have always struck me as having 

 a very villanous and spiteful expression. He is, however, 

 possessed of great beauty of colour — the bright olive-green 

 of his scales, with a tinge of sheeny gold towards his white 

 belly, being very attractive ; and I must confess I always 

 contemplate a barbel, say of 5 lbs. or 6 lbs., when in good 

 condition, with a large amount of admiration. 



Barbel are found in many parts of the world, but 



