Page:Natural History, Fishes.djvu/243

Rh capacious to gorge a child of six years old. It is found in the rivers of Africa and Asia, as well as those of Europe. The body is thick and long, but the abdomen is short; the tail, (by which is meant, not the caudal fin, but the part of the body behind the vent,) long and muscular; the head broad and depressed. The upper parts are of a deep green hue, becoming paler on the sides, and merging into yellow on the belly; the

whole obscurely mottled. The fins are partly blue, and partly yellow.

The flesh of this species is greatly in demand on account of its good qualities; it is sent to the markets of Paris from the rivers of Germany. It is described as white, fat, and agreeable to the taste, but luscious, soft, and difficult of digestion to weak stomachs. The flesh is so greasy that it is said to be used as a substitute for lard.