. The popular natural history . Zoology. TItE BREAM. 49i brought to this country from China, and has almost acclimatized itself to the cold seasons of England. Its habits and splendid clothing are too well- known to need description. Another well-known member of the same genus is the Barbfx, a fine but not brilliant fish which is common in many of the English rivers. This fish may easily be known, from the four fleshy appendages, called beards or barbules, which hang from the head, two being placed on the nose and the other two at each angle of the mouth. It is one of the mud-loving fish, grub
. The popular natural history . Zoology. TItE BREAM. 49i brought to this country from China, and has almost acclimatized itself to the cold seasons of England. Its habits and splendid clothing are too well- known to need description. Another well-known member of the same genus is the Barbfx, a fine but not brilliant fish which is common in many of the English rivers. This fish may easily be known, from the four fleshy appendages, called beards or barbules, which hang from the head, two being placed on the nose and the other two at each angle of the mouth. It is one of the mud-loving fish, grubbing with its nose in the soft banks for the piir[iose of unearthing the larvae of various insects which make their home in such places, and being, in all probability, aided by its barbules in its search after food. The Barbel is sometimes so sluggish in its movements, and so deeply occupied in rooting about the bank, that an accomplished swimmer will occasionally dive to the bed of the river, feel for the Barbel along the banks, and bring them to the surface in his bare hand. From this habit of grubbing in the mud, the Barbel has earned the name of Fresh-water Pig. The colour of the Barbel is brown above with a green wash, and yellowish green on the sides. All the scales have a metallic lustre, and the cheeks and gill-covers have also a polished look as if covered with very thin bronze. The abdomen is white. The Barbel is somewhat long in proportion to its weight, which is extremely variable, seldom, however, exceeding eleven or twelve pounds. The Tench is hardly so common as the other two species, preferring the slowest and muddiest rivers, and thriving well in ponds and lakes, or even in clay-pits. No water, indeed, seems to be too thick, muddy, or even fetid, for the Tench to inhabit, and it is rather curious that in such cases, even where the fishermen could scarcely endure the stench of the mud adhering to their nets, the fish were larger sized, and of remarkably
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
