458 MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OP NEW-YORK. 



the belly. The white reflects vividly green, red, and other splendid 

 hues. Head rather elongated. Lower jaw projecting 



Scales very easily deciduous. Form neat, taper, and slender. Gills 

 rise into the throat on each side of the root of the tongue. Eyes pale 

 and large. Tail deeply forked. On account of the even connexion of 

 the false ribs, the belly is not at all seriated, but quite smooth. A semi- 

 transparent space in front of the eyes from side to side. 



Rays, Br. 7. P. 16. V. 9. D. 13. A. 15. C. 19. 



GYPRINCS. CARP. 



Generic character* 



Mouth small and toothless. Teeth in the throat. Gill membrane 

 three rayed. Ventral fins in general, nine rayed. 



1. Fresh-mater Sucker. (Cyprinus teres.) With elongated round 

 body. Low, soft, puckered mouth, and tail nearly even. 



Mouth under, toothless, and with a soft and puckered orifice. 



Head rather small/ Back thick and round, (cylindricallv.) 



Back and sides a speckled black and white. Belly whitish. Pecto- 

 ral, abdominal, and anal fins yellowish. Dorsal and caudal dark brown. 



Lateral line straight. Abdomen large and frequently flabby. Rays 

 of the fins coarse. Tail almost even. 



Inhabits fresh brooks, ponds, and rivers, and in many of them is taken 

 very abundantly. Grows to the size of twelve and fifteen inches. 



Is extensivelv employed in the interior districts for food. And as we 

 find him in the New-York market, is a tolerably good, though rather a 

 soft, fish. Is, perhaps, the C. catastomns. 



I found, on anatomizing him, a curious division of the swimming blad- 

 der into two sacks or cells, having connexion by a small tube. 



Rays, Br. 3. P. 17. V. 9. A. 8. D. 13. C. 19. 



