188 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



FAMILY CYPRINID^. 



Mouth slightly cleft ; weak jaws, most frequently without teeth ; margin of the jaw formed 

 by the inter 7naocillaries ; pharyngeals strongly toothed. Branchial rays few. Body scaly. 

 One dorsal fin. Belly not compressed, never serrated. Intestinal canal short, without 

 ccecal appendages. The least carnivorous of all fishes. 



Obs. Two hundred and seventy species, arrayed under twenty genera, have been described 

 from various quarters of the globe. 



GENUS CYPRINUS. Linneus, Cuvier. 



Body covered with large scales. A single elongated dorsal fin. Lips fleshy ; mouth small, 

 terminal. Teeth in the pharyngeals, but none in the jaws. Branchial rays three. 



THE COMMON CARP. — (Introduced.) 

 Cypeinus caupio. 

 Cyprinus carpio. Linn., Cuv. Itcgne Animal, Vol.2, p. 271. 



Characteristics. Color golden olive. The first ray of the dorsal and anal fin strongly serrated 

 behind. Two barbules at the angle of the mouth. Dorsal fin long, emargi- 

 nate. Length, six to twelve inches. 



Description. Body covered with about twelve rows of large scales. A cirrus or barbel at 

 the upper part of each corner of the jaw, with a second smaller one above it on each side. 



under the skin may be detected by removing the teguments. Nostrils near the margin of the jaw. Opercles smooth, 

 and without spines or scrratures. Branchial aperture large ; the membrane with eight rays. No barbels nor cirri 

 about the head, or depending from its jaws. Mouth wide; lower jaw longest, not as broad nor as much rounded as 

 the upper jaw ; it is armed with several rows of numerous minute, slender, long and pointed teeth directed backwards. 

 In the upper jaw, similar but smaller teeth arranged in several rows, of which the outer are directed horizontally 

 forward. Two rows of long hooked teeth on the palatines ; vomer smooth. Tongue smooth and free. 



The dorsal tin arises an inch and three quarters from the end of the snout, is higher than broad, composed of seven 

 articulated feebly branched rays ; its base 0-3, its height 0-5 ; it appears to lie in a furrow, but this may have arisen 

 from the shrinking of the animal in spirits. Pectorals - 6 long, with a narrow base of 0-15, with twelve articulated 

 and branched rays ; the middle rays are long and filamentous, extending nearly to the origin of the dorsal fin. Ventrals 

 very feeble, of five rays ; the filamentous tips reaching nearly to the origin of the anal. Anal fin quadrangular, arising 

 under the fifth dorsal ray, and containing eight articulated rays. Caudal pointed; its middle rays longest, 0-6 long, 

 but appeared to have been mutilated. Vent a small circular orifice in advance of the base of the pectorals, and only 

 0-8 from the tip of the lower jaw. 



In alcohol, it appeared to have been of a uniform dull yellowish white. Length, 3-5 ; of the head to the edge of the 

 opercles, 1 -0. Breadth of the head at the basal line, 0.6. D. 7 ; P. 12; V. 5 ; A. 8 ; C. 16 *. (Cabinet oftlic Ujceun 

 of Natural History?) 



