Lachesis Lapponica; Or, A Tour in Lapland, Volume 1Linné, Carl von
History
Lachesis Lapponica; Or, A Tour in Lapland, Volume 1
Linné, Carl von
Lapland -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Lapland
This day I examined two nondescript species of fish, belonging to the
genus _Cyprinus_. The first is called Stemma (_Cyprinus Grislagine_).
Its head is oblong and obtuse, black on the top, silvery at the sides,
and white beneath. The back of the fish is also blackish; its sides of a
shining silvery hue; the belly white. Eyes round and white, their
_irides_ dotted, especially the upper part, which is moreover marked
with a large verdigrise-green spot just above the black pupil. Nostrils
round, accompanied with a pair of smaller roundish orifices. Mouth
without teeth. Tongue blunt. Lower jaw a little the shortest; that part
which covers the gills consisting of five connected, obtuse, not
spinous, rays on each side. Dorsal fin solitary, of ten rays, the first
of which is very short and undivided; the second twice as long, but
likewise simple; each of the rest twice forked, except the tenth, which
is only obscurely cloven. Tail forked, acute, of eighteen rays, one of
which on each side is very long and simple, the others gradually
shorter, twice forked, some of them still more subdivided. Anal fin of
eleven rays, like those of the dorsal one, the external ones longest, as
in that, both fins appearing forked when unexpanded. Ventral fins of
nine rays each, one of them long and simple, the rest, as in the
foregoing, gradually shorter, the last being cloven. These fins are not
forked when unexpanded. Brachial (or pectoral) fins of seventeen rays
like those of the foregoing, except that each is much shorter than its
preceding neighbour, the ultimate one being scarcely discernible. Scales
in seventeen rows on each side, including the dorsal and ventral rows in
each reckoning, otherwise only fifteen. In the tenth row the lateral
line is marked by a minute ovate-oblong dot on each scale of a silvery
white, so that there are about fifty such dots on each side. The dorsal
fin is blackish, the rest pale, the ventral ones very slightly
yellowish.
The whole length is two palms and five lines.
From the nose to the dorsal fin three inches.
Base of the dorsal fin eight lines; its length thirteen lines.
From that fin to the tail three inches and five lines.
Length of the tail one inch and four lines; its diameter at the base
seven lines.
From each point to the fork ten lines.
From the tail fin to the anal one, one inch, two lines.
Base of the latter eight lines; its length eleven.
From the anal to the ventral fins one inch, five lines.
Base of the latter eight lines; their length eleven.
From the ventral to the pectoral fin one inch, eight lines.
Base of the latter four lines, length eleven.
Length of the head one inch, five lines.
Greatest diameter of the body one inch, five lines.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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