CYPRINID^; 165 



In lieu of those genera, however, which exist in England and on 

 the continent of Europe, but entirely lack American representatives, 

 several prevail here which are totally wanting in Europe, as the genus 

 Labeo, the genus Catastomus, Suckers, or Sucking Carp, many varieties 

 of which are found throughout the waters of the United States and 

 Canada, from north to south, and many species of Hydrargyra, ana- 

 logous to the European Minnow. 



Several of these last species are of great interest to the naturalist, the 

 Catastomi, or Suckers, especially, from the singular formation of their 

 mouths, which are situated far below and posterior to the tip of the 

 snout, and furnished with crimped and pendant labials, adapted for the 

 deglutition of vegetable substances and even of mud ; but to the 

 sportsman they are of no account, as they do not take the bait, and 

 are worth little as bait themselves, while, by the epicure, they are 

 justly held in utter scorn. 



The truth is, that nowhere under the canopy of Heaven are the 

 genus Cyprinus worthy to be accounted sporting fishes, and nowhere 

 are they eatable — not even excepting the Carp and Tench of Europe 

 — unless with the aid and appliances of a most careful cuisine, and by 

 dint of stewing in claret, with condiments and spices, garlic and force- 

 meat balls, and anchovies, such as might convert a kid glove, or the 

 sole of a reasonably tender India-rubber shoe, into delicious esculents. 



The shyness of the Carp in biting, the great size of the Bream and 

 Barbel, and even in some waters of the Chub, induce bottom-fish- 

 ing anglers at home to take some pleasure in their pursuit and capture, 

 but that is invariably in such slow and sluggish waters as contain no 

 gamer or more delicate fish ; and the dull, logy, watery fish them- 

 selves, and the cockney punt-fishers, who aspire to take them, are held 

 in about equal esteem, or disesteem, by those who know what it is ti> 

 throw a long line lightly, with a cast of flics, for the vigorous-speckled 

 Trout, or to spin, or even troll, with 'the Parr or Minnow, for the 

 savage and voracious Pike or Salmon 



In America, none of the Liucisci, Chub, Roach, Dace, or Shiners, 

 and none of the Abramis, Bream, exceed nine or ten inches in length 

 and consequently are never subjects of more serious pursuit than the 

 holiday crooked-pin and angle-worm fishing of schoolbovs. Thf^y are 



