OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 91 



Common Loach and S pined Loach (Nemachilus barbatulus 

 and Ccbitis tcenia), Nos. 173 and 174. All of these species 

 will be found extensively represented among both the collec- 

 tion of casts in the Buckland Museum and the spirit-preserved 

 specimens forming the Day Collection, a large number 

 of them being likewise exhibited alive in the aquaria belong- 

 ing to the Museum of Pisciculture. Since, however, this 

 family group falls specially within the province of the 

 corresponding handbooks, treating upon the art of angling 

 and general pisciculture, the space that might have been 

 otherwise devoted to its biography has been bestowed upon 

 less familiar forms. One or two types and their varieties 

 deserve, nevertheless, a more extensive notice. Among 

 these must be mentioned a variety of the Common Carp, in 

 which the bones of the head are so deformed that it closely 

 resembles that of a pug-dog. Casts of this variety will be 

 found in the Buckland Museum. The Crucian Carp is 

 notable for exhibiting a large number of varieties, including 

 the well-known gold and silver Carp with their innumerable 

 interblendings, originally introduced from China,* the 

 normal-coloured fish, comprising the common large head, 

 sub-cylindrical form, formerly and still frequently denomi- 

 nated the Prussian Carp {Cyprinus gibelio), and the much 

 compressed Bream-like form, which retained the title of 

 the Crucian Carp, or Carp-Bream. A remarkable example 

 of this variety, having an oval perforation of about an inch 

 in length and half an inch in breadth, through the muscular 

 tissues of the hinder region of its body, was received by the 

 writer at the Manchester Aquarium, from Mr. Henry King, 

 of Great Portland Street, in the year 1875. The Tench, like 

 the Carp, is notable for a gold coloured variety, obtained from 



* By some authorities the Gold-fish is admitted to the rank of a 

 distinct species, under the title of Cyprinus, or Carassius auratus. 



