RUDD. 
781 
by its great length, its base measuring about 13 — 15 V 2 
% of the length of the body, its height about 16 % 
(sometimes 17 7o) — IS 1 /, % of the same. It begins at, 
a distance from the tip of the snout measuring about 
59 — 66 % (in exceptional cases 69 %) of the length of 
the body. The caudal tin is similar to that of the 
Roach, its middle rays occupying about 1 1 1 / 2 — 7 1 / 2 % 
of the length of the body, and measuring in our young- 
est specimen about 53 %, in the oldest ones about 40 — 
36 % of that of the longest caudal rays. 
The pectoral arid ventral tins resemble in form 
those of the Roach, but the former are always per- 
ceptibly longer than the latter, the length of the former 
being about 20 — 18 %, of the latter about 18 — 16 %, 
of that of the body. The distance between the ventral 
tins and the tip of the snout measures about 43 (42 1 / 2 ) 
— 46 %, the preabdominal length about 22 — 25 (25'8) %, 
and the postabdominal length about 19 — 25 (27) %, of 
the length of the body. 
Tire scales are also of the same type as in the 
Roach, but larger and coarser, more distinctly striated, 
and still more closely imbricated. 
To the external sexual characters the same re- 
marks apply as in the case of the Roach. 
In coloration the Rudd is one of the most hand- 
some Leuciscines. The sides are of a silvery lustre, 
strongly tinged with golden yellow, a bright play of 
colours being thus produced. The back is dark green- 
ish, gradually passing first into greenish yellotv and 
then into the colour of the sides. The iris is golden 
yellow, shading more or less distinctly into red. The 
dorsal and caudal fins are of a light olive green, tip- 
ped more or less distinctly with red, especially the 
latter. The pectoral fins are light and transparent, with 
reddish tip. The ventral and anal fins, grayish yellow 
at the base, are of a bright red hue, of varying in- 
tensity and distribution in different specimens. In young 
specimens, as usual, the colours are less rich. 
The range of the Rudd extends throughout Europe, 
except the Iberian Peninsula, and also to Asia Minor 
and the interior of Siberia, where Humboldt and Ehren- 
berg traced it to the Obi and Tobolsk. But both in 
Siberia and Europe the species is wanting in the ex- 
treme north. In Finland, according to Mela, it penet- 
rates to lat. 63° 20’ N. How far north the Rudd is 
found in Sweden, has not yet been ascertained; but 
there are no positive instances of its occurrence in 
Westernorrland, Jemtland, or Westerbotten, though Ek- 
strom was told that it occurred still farther north, in 
the Kalix Elf. Of its extension in Norway Ratiike 
states (in Ascanius) that it is taken in several of the 
Norwegian lakes, among others in Mjosen and Ojeren; 
but according to Collett its occurrence is confined to 
the south-east of the country, and its range scarcely 
extends north of Christiania (60° N. lat,). In Ireland 
the Rudd and the Minnow are the only indigenous 
Cyprinines known. 
In Southern and Central Sweden the Rudd is met 
with in most of the lakes and rivers, as well as in 
the Baltic island-belt, but nowhere in any great abund- 
ance. It is known in different localities by different 
names, most often by those of Sarf“ or Sarfvel, some- 
times Rodfena (Red-fin) or Rodmort (Red Roach). Its 
favourite haunts lie in thick and weedy water. In 
spring and summer it frequents shallow, swampy coves 
with weedy or muddy bottom. In winter, like fhe 
other Cyprinoids, it withdraws to deep water. 
The Rudd is not very active, and makes long so- 
journs at its chosen haunts. Except on very warm 
and fine summer days, it seldom rises in the water, 
but lies at the bottom, buried in weeds and mud. It 
is more cautious than timid, for though afraid of noise, 
it does not retire to any distance, but hides, when 
frightened, in the ooze and weeds, whence no din can 
dislodge it. Being a greedy eater, and living on plants, 
insects, worms, and mud, it indeed becomes fat towards 
autumn, but in the Swedish lakes never attains any 
considerable size. It is very sociable and cannot en- 
dure solitude, intruding itself, when it cannot find any 
large company of its own species, on the society of 
other fishes, generally those of the preceding genus, 
especially during their spawning festivities. Hence the 
origin of the Swedish proverb: Scirfven i hvar lek b . 
From this habit, and from the fact that large shoals 
are seldom found breeding at the same place, it has 
been supposed that the Rudd holds no spawning 
assemblies of its own. This opinion is, however, 
groundless. 
The spawning-season of the Rudd occurs in Central 
Sweden at the end of May or beginning of June, in 
" In Finland iSorua , in Norway Seru or Flasroye (Rathke). 
b Lit. “the Rudd at every spawning,” i. e. a finger in every pie. 
