THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



349 



BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISH. 



By H. Andrews, Aldborough. 

 {Continued /rom page 342.) 



The Trout {Salmo /ario), is one of our 

 handsomest river fish, and is very voracious, 

 eating not only insects in all their stages, 

 and worms, but also small fish. The colour 

 is golden brown above, with a number of 

 reddish brown spots, and the sides are 

 covered with many spots of carmine. The 

 lower part of the sides is yellow, and below 

 is silver white. The Trout is found to in- 

 habit retired spots, either in banks, or under 

 large stones in the stream. There are a 

 a number of varieties of this species. 



The Grayling [Thymalhcs vulgaris), 

 is a small species found in Derbyshire, 

 Hampshire, Yorkshire, and some other 

 counties, and seldom weigh more 2 lbs. 



Char {Salmo ?), consists of several small 

 species of the salmon family, found in the 

 lake of Windermere, &c. in Westmoreland. 



Pollan {Corcgonus pollan), an inhabitant 

 of the lakes iu Ireland. 



Powan (C. lacepcdii) and Vendace (C. 

 nuu'cenuhi), inhabiting the lakes and lochs of 

 Scotland. 



The Carp {Cyprimus carpio) belongs to 

 a family, with which, I dare say, most of us 

 are acquainted who take an interest in ang- 

 ling. This fish is thick in shape, and the 

 general colour is olive-brown, tinged with 

 gold, and its scales are very large and shin- 

 ing. The mouth has two barbules on each 

 side, the candal fin is forked, and the dorsal 

 fin is much longer than that of the Barbel. 

 The food of the Carp is the larvx of insects, 

 worms, &c. It may be found in rivers, 

 lakes, and ponds, and will grow to an enor- 

 mous size, weighing as much as -:o lbs. 



The Barbel {Barbus vulgaris), called 

 the bearded-fish, from the barbs or wattles 

 at its mouth, is frequent in our rivers, it is 



distinguished from the preceeding species 

 by the upper jaw protruding over the lower 

 one, has a more slender body, and the dorsal 

 fin is placed in the centre of the back. In 

 colour it is greenish-brown above, greenish- 

 yellow on the sides, and white below. The 

 food is slugs, worms, and small fish. The 

 maximum weight is about 14 lbs. The 

 Barbel lives in rapid rivers, retiring in cold 

 weather to deep waters. 



The Bream (Cyprimus bramaj. This 

 fish is an inhabitant of large lakes and deep 

 rivers. It food consists of worms, and other 

 soft food. It is a thick fish, of a rounded 

 form, the dorsal fin gradually tapering from 

 one end to the other, forming almost a 

 triangle, the candal fin is forked, and the 

 anal fin elongated. It varies from 3 to 7lbs. 

 in weight, and is rather rare. 



The Tench (C. Tinea). This fish is 

 short and thick in shape, and the colour 

 seems to vary according to the locality in 

 which it resides, but may be recognized by 

 the very small barbules, small scales, and 

 abundant secretions of the body. It in- 

 habits little lakes, ponds, and other still and 

 muddy waters. Its heaviest weight is about 

 5i lbs. 



The Chub (Leuciscus cephalus) is a 

 common fish in many rivers oi England. 

 All the fins are of a rounded form, except 

 the candal fin, which is forked. It is not a 

 large fish, reaching only 4^ lbs. 



The Rudd (L. erythropthalmus) is said 

 to be plentiful about Norfolk, — " Tlie fauna 

 of Norfolk, 1S45," — but I am unacquainted 

 with it. 



The Roach {C. rutilus).—T\\c roach is 

 a small fish seldom exceeding 2 lbs. in weight. 

 It is greyish--reen above, with a blue gloss, 

 and white below ; several of the fins (ventral 

 and anal) are decidedly red, also the eyes. 

 The back has a graceful curve, and the 

 snout somewhat rounded. It is common 



