The barbel has its name from its four barbs, or cirrhi, two of which are at the corners of the mouth, and the other two are near the extremity of the snout. An ex cellent drawing of it, by one of the Albins, will be found in North's History of Esculent Fish. Their flesh is soft and tasteless, and held in small esteem by the epicure; the roe ought not to be eaten, as it frequently acts both as a violent emetic and cathartic ; this may be the cause of the male being more valued than the fe male of this fish. The season of angling for them, as for most fish, is from May to August, at which time they frequent the shallowest and swiftest streams. They do not bite freely, unless in the morning and evening, and then the baits they take, are the lob worm, salmon. or trout roes, and old cheese steeped in honey. They are seldom seen hi winter, as they then betake them seli es to the deepest and most obscure bottoms.
CAHT—CynrinU8 Carpi°. Was brought into Britain in the reign of Henry the Eighth, by a Mr Leonard Mascall, a Sussex gentleman, and who was the first that introduced it into the ponds of that county, where it still remains more abundant than in any other part of Eng land. A few may be found in rivers, but a pond seems to be their favourite residence. It the interior parts of Germany, a great part of the revenue of their nobility and gentry arises from carp ponds. It is a subtle fish, and on that account has been denominated the fresh water fox ; indeed, from their extreme cunning and shyness, they yield but little amusement to the angler. Several have been taken in the Thames about two feet long. Fish for them with paste or worms. They are but indifferent eating. In dressing, the best mode is to stew them.
GUDGEON—Cyftrinus Gobio. Differs very much in its nature from the foregoing fish, for as they are all craft, the gudgeon is all simplicity; indeed so much the case, that the name is universally proverbial for a man easily cheated.
To unexpert anglers they are very convenient and amu sing fish, for they are allured by almost any kind of bait that is offered to them, and with little pains may be taken at every hour of the day. A pole or rake is fre quently used, to stir up the sand and gravel in the river, in order to thicken the water, and to make them shoal, and if you wade, you may then catch them at your feet : the hooks and baits, however, should be small, as gen tles, caddis, and red worms. The gudgeon is generally from five to six inches long. They spawn two or three times in the year. Like the (Cyprinus 4ziralus) gold fish, they, as well as small dace, may be preserved a long time alive in china or glass jars, taking care to change and to have the water fresh. We have seen them, in America, thrive and grow perfectly tame in this situation.
TENCH—Cyprinus Tinca. Seems to thrive and delight more in ponds than in rivers, yet they are very abun dant in the Stour, in Dorsetshire. We have not set them down among the fish in Scotland, as the only place we ever heard of their being seen in this country, is in a pond at the Drum, near Edinburgl, the late seat of lord Somerville. It is a good eating fish, although the skin is somewhat clammy : the slime rubbed off from them, is said to possess a medicinal quality. In general they are from ten to twelve inches long. They spawn in summer. Angle for them with the same baits, and in the same manner as you do for carp.