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  THE 
  VEETEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  what 
  he 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  Minnows, 
  but 
  the 
  specimens 
  were 
  

   common 
  Sticklebacks 
  ; 
  another 
  from 
  Inverness 
  sent 
  what 
  is 
  

   usually 
  called 
  Minnows 
  in 
  that 
  quarter, 
  but 
  these 
  were 
  Parr. 
  

  

  With 
  reference 
  to 
  Minnows 
  having 
  been 
  introduced 
  into 
  the 
  

   Spey 
  about 
  the 
  year 
  1883, 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  doubt 
  that 
  such 
  took 
  place, 
  

   but 
  I 
  am 
  aware 
  that 
  Minnows 
  existed 
  in 
  the 
  Spey 
  long 
  prior 
  to 
  

   that 
  date, 
  and 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  common 
  there 
  I 
  am 
  assured 
  

   by 
  gentlemen 
  who 
  are 
  natives 
  of 
  the 
  quarter 
  and 
  who 
  used 
  to 
  

   use 
  these 
  fishes 
  as 
  bait 
  long 
  prior 
  to 
  the 
  above 
  date. 
  That 
  

   they 
  are 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  Spey 
  is 
  testified 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  

   fish 
  have 
  been 
  sent 
  from 
  that 
  stream 
  to 
  me, 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  

   taken 
  from 
  among 
  " 
  scores 
  " 
  of 
  others. 
  That 
  these 
  fish 
  exist 
  

   in 
  the 
  Lossie, 
  near 
  Elgin, 
  is 
  proved 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that, 
  in 
  1889, 
  

   the 
  late 
  Rev. 
  Dr. 
  Gordon 
  sent 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  that 
  were 
  caught 
  

   in 
  that 
  stream 
  to 
  me 
  for 
  identification. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  

   northern 
  stream 
  to 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  as 
  yet 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  trace 
  

   the 
  Minnow. 
  In 
  Banff, 
  Aberdeen, 
  and 
  Kincardine 
  shires, 
  it 
  

   is 
  common 
  in 
  all 
  suitable 
  waters. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  tape-worm, 
  those 
  

   caught 
  in 
  the 
  Don 
  being 
  especially 
  so. 
  This 
  was 
  first 
  pointed 
  

   out 
  to 
  me 
  by 
  Andrew 
  Murray, 
  Esq., 
  advocate, 
  who 
  is 
  a 
  keen 
  

   and 
  most 
  successful 
  angler, 
  and 
  knows 
  the 
  fishes 
  of 
  our 
  rivers 
  

   well. 
  Those 
  tape-worms 
  increase 
  to 
  such 
  an 
  extent 
  that 
  the 
  

   Minnows 
  so 
  affected 
  appear 
  about 
  twice 
  their 
  natural 
  size, 
  

   and 
  as 
  if 
  at 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  bursting. 
  When 
  opened, 
  the 
  

   abdominal 
  cavity 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  crammed 
  full 
  of 
  tape. 
  How 
  

   the 
  poor 
  fishes 
  exist 
  under 
  such 
  circumstances 
  is 
  a 
  marvel. 
  

  

  Genus 
  TINCA, 
  Cuvier. 
  

   Tinea 
  vulgaris, 
  Cuvier. 
  Tench. 
  

  

  " 
  These 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  ponds 
  of 
  Pitfour, 
  where 
  they 
  seem 
  

   to 
  thrive 
  and 
  breed." 
  (Arbuthnot.) 
  ["One 
  specimen 
  taken 
  

   in 
  our 
  Bay 
  in 
  1864 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  example 
  I 
  have 
  seen. 
  It 
  is 
  

   now 
  in 
  our 
  Museum." 
  (Edward.)] 
  

  

  In 
  Day's 
  British 
  Fishes, 
  vol. 
  ii., 
  p. 
  191, 
  is 
  the 
  following 
  : 
  

   " 
  A 
  beautiful 
  specimen 
  was 
  captured 
  in 
  the 
  Moray 
  Firth 
  in 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  June, 
  1863. 
  From 
  whence 
  it 
  came 
  and 
  how 
  

   it 
  fared 
  is 
  a 
  mystery." 
  Can 
  this 
  be 
  the 
  same 
  fish 
  as 
  the 
  

   1864 
  one? 
  

  

  