50 
RtJOD. 
of -water, -with sheltering pools, it is not met with in districts 
where the flow of water is rapid and turbulent. Although, 
therefore, it is generally distributed through the more level 
counties of England, it is not a native of Cornwall, and I 
find it mentioned as uncertain in a list of the fishes found in 
the neighbourhood of Weymouth, kindly communicated by 
William Thompson, Esq., of that place, although the Roach is 
plentiful there. Nilsson observes that it is found in the south 
and middle portions of Scandinavia, where it appears to display 
more sociable habits than others of this family, so as to be 
found mingled with them, especially at the time of spawning. 
This function is entered upon in the beginning of summer, at 
which time the male assumes a dilferent appearance, by a 
particular roughness of the skin; and the spawn is shed 
among the weeds of the pools 
This fish is in considerable esteem for the table. 
In spite of the dangers to which it is exposed, the Rudd 
is known to have reached the weight of two pounds; but our 
description is taken from much smaller examples; of which 
we select a couple in order to make a more definite comparison. 
Where the length was nine inches, the depth at the ventral 
fins was two inches and five eighths; the form rather stout, 
but compressed; snout gently rounded, gape narrow, under 
jaw a little the shortest; no teeth; eye moderate, nostrils in 
a depression The outline ascends at first gently over the 
head towards the dorsal fin; in one specimen in a circular 
form, in another rising more suddenly behind the head. The 
body clothed with scales of moderate size; lateral line descending 
at first, and then near the lower border straight to the tail, — 
forty-three pores along this line. The dorsal fin is behind the 
line of the ventrals. and opposite the space between these and 
the anal, its first rays much the longest, becoming shorter 
gradually to the last; anal fin not so long as the dorsal; the 
tail forked. The colour in one example bluish green on the 
back, the sides tinged with blue, white below; the cheeks 
tinged with yellow; eyes bright red. All the fins tinged with 
red, the dorsal fin and tail dark near the border. In another 
example the general colour was brown, darker on the back; 
eye reddish brown; fins dull red, darker on the dorsal fin 
and tail. 
