262 
*The Hiftory of ANIMALS. 
it is not deeply fo; and the membranes of all the fins have black fpots in them, efpeci- 
ally in the back fin ; thofe on the others are fmaller as well as fewer. * 
This fpecies is frequent in the rivers and lakes in many parts of Germany, and in 
France and England; and it is caught alfo fometimes at fea : the antients were well 
acquainted with it, Athenasus calls it X«jp©- 3 7zWp(^ 3 and /Elian, Xwp©* - Pliny calls 
it Acerina 3 Bellonius, Gefner, Ray, and Willughby, Cernua fluviatilis 3 Charleton, 
Cernua fluviatilis, aliis Perea minor; Gefner, Percse fluviatilis genus minus 3 and, in 
other parts of his writings, Porcus fluviatilis and Cernua fluviatilis. Tragus calls it 
Aurata fluviatilis 3 J. Caius, Afpredo 3 and Schoneveldt adds to it’s other names thofe 
of Porculus and Porcellus. The Swedes call it Giers 3 the Danes, Horch ; the Ger¬ 
mans, Kaulbrafs, Stuerbrafs, and Stuer 3 the Dutch, Pofch and Poft j we call it a 
Ruff or Rough. 
The writers on fifhes have deferibed what they fuppofe another fpecies, under the 
name of Pifcis Danubii quem Ichrol Germani vocant 3 but it is the fame, in all refpeds* 
with the common Ruff, only it grows larger in the Danube, 
Perea lineis utrinque tranfverfis feptem nigris , duElibus cce- 
ruleis et rubris in capite et ventre. 
TJoe Perca^ with feven black tranfverfe lines on each fde , and 
red a^^d blue marks on the head and belly . 
This is a larger fpecies; it grows to a foot, or more, in length, and the body is of 
the general form of the common pearch, but not quite fo thick : the mouth is very 
large, and almoft always open : the back is ridged; and the belly, from the gills to 
the anus, is fomewhat flatted : the head is large, and toward the back part, and from 
thence, a part of the body is of an elegant 'reddifh colour, and is variegated with a 
great number of beautiful bluifh and reddifh lines 3 and there are alfo lines and ftreaks 
of both thefe elegant colours on the anterior part of the belly, and on the fides there 
are feven large black lines. 
The back fin has twenty-five rays, ten of which are fhort and prickly, the other 
fifteen longer and weak : the pinna ani has ten rays, three of which are prickly, the 
others not: the pedoral fins are yellowifh, and the belly fins rather of a whitifh-grey, 
but fiill with fome tinge of yellow in it: the tail is not forked or lunated, but plain 
and undivided : the apertures of the gills are extreamly large, and are yellow on the 
infide: the eyes are large, and fland at a confiderable difiance 3 and the nofirils have 
each a double aperture, and are fituated near them ; there are fharp teeth in the pa¬ 
late, and in the fauces as well as in the jaws: the tongue is long aud frnooth 3 the mid¬ 
dle lamina of the coverings of the gills is denticulated or ferrated round the edge, and 
in the exterior angle of the lamina there are two large fpines: the feales are mo¬ 
derately large 3 the lower part of the belly is prominent; the ftomach is very large, 
and the air-bladder is of an oblong form, and is confiderably large, and it’s membrane 
firm and tough. 
This fpecies is frequent in the Mediterranean : it was very well known to the an¬ 
tients, and by them diftinguifhed by the Ample name of Perea. Ariftode, Athenaeus, 
/Elian, Oppian, and Galen call it Amply Uspw 3 Ovid, Pliny, Paulus Jovius, and 
fome of the later writers, Perea ; but Ray, Willughby, and the reft, Perea marina and 
Perea pelagia 3 the Italians call it Percia. Aldrovand, and after him fome others, have 
figured and deferibed two or three other fpecies, as they call them, of the Percae ma¬ 
rinas 3 but the only differences they mention are, in point of colour, and thofe will 
happen by accidents in the fame fpecies. The other parts of their deferiptions prove 
that they are all the fame fpecies as the common Sea-pearch. 
Perea dorfo monopterygio, lineis utrinque lo?tgitudinalibus 
nigris. t 
"The Perea } with one fin on the back , and with longitudinal 
black lines on the fides. 
This is the thickeft, in proportion to it’s length, of any of the fpecies : the head is 
large, and the opening of the mouth is wide 3 the eyes are large, arid their pupil round, 
t and 
