RIVER GARDENS; 
the Pike and Perch, the others would agree well 
together, of almost any size, as they are not vora¬ 
cious—at all events in a fish-devouring way—and 
are content with much smaller prey. If, however, 
variety he sought—and certainly the elongated figure 
of the Pike and the fine dorsal battlement of the 
Perch add greatly to the diversity of the forms and 
characters of a group of fish in an Aquarium—then 
the caution just put forth must be carefully 
observed. 
The Barbel (Barbus vulgaris ), a name sug¬ 
gested by his seeming beard, will also do well in 
confinement; but he is rather a clumsy-looking 
fish, and also somewhat sluggish in his movements. 
He is represented, though upon a very small 
scale, in Plate I. Jesse mentions Barbel among 
the fish kept in the Vivarium in Bushy Park, 
stating that they were the strongest and most un- 
tameable of all the kinds. In spring, however, 
when they could perceive no one watching them, 
they would sometimes roll about and rub them¬ 
selves against the brickwork, in many playful 
gambols. In the Thames they sometimes attain 
the weight of fifteen pounds. They become quite 
torpid in winter, sheltering themselves under some 
projecting bank, or sometimes under the lee-side of 
60 
