214 
MALACOPTERYGII. — CYPRINID^. 
suppose, is to be attributed the beautiful pearly 
play of light that marks these lovely fishes, as dis- 
tinguished from the light reflected by an uniformly i 
polished surface. We have found the pearly pig- I 
ment of the scales to be provided ’with similar j 
spiculae in fishes widely differing in size, structure | 
and habits, as the Gudgeon and Minnow, the I 
Pike and the marine Bream. The spicule of Ij 
these fishes agree in general form with those of i 
the Gold-fish, and also in size, with the excep- j 
tion of trifling variations in the comparative length | 
and breadth. The colouring matter is lodged in | 
lengthened cylindrical cells, arranged side by side, | 
and running across the scale, that is, in a direction | 
at right angles to the lateral line. | 
The Common Carp {Cyprinus carpio, Linn.), 
though not indigenous to England, is now suffi- 
ciently abundant here, especially in the southern 
and midland counties. In Scotland it cannot be 
considered other than rare. The period of the 
introduction of the species into this country is 
disputed ; the probability is, that it was imported 
into different parts at separate times. The earliest 
notice of it on record is by Dame Juliana Berners, 
about the end of the fifteenth century. 
The Carp has been known to attain the length 
of thirty inches, with a girth of twenty-two. Its 
colours are brownish- olive on the upper parts, and 
dull white on the lower, the whole surface having 
a tinge of yellow : the fins are dark brown ; the 
number of their rays is as follows: D. 22; P. 17; 
V. 9; A. 8 ; C. 19. The scales are large and 
coarse ; the lateral line nearly straight. 
Still waters are principally affected by this spe- • 
cies; ponds with soft muddy bottoms are most 
