Mr. J. M'Clelland on Indian Cyprinidae. 39 



4. An examination of the viscera connected with the digest- 

 ive organs, together with the form of the mouth, suggested 

 the possibility of identifying something on which the natural 

 arrangement of fishes might be founded. In those Carps 

 whose mouths are constructed for the collection of vegetable 

 food, I found, as might be expected, the greatest development 

 of intestinal canal ; in these the mouth is invariably either 

 horizontal or directed downwards, as in the Cirrhins : all such 



Buchanan on the original drawing, is preserved in the pirated copy. 

 Fig. 4. Syngnathus deokpata, Buch. 

 Tab. 91. fig. 1. Mystus chilol, Buch. Colouring much exaggerated in the 



pirated copy. 

 Tab. 93. fig. 1. Cyprinus mosal, Buch. Two figures, and two of Cyprinus 

 morala, id. The coloured copy of this last is so badly executed, that 

 the characteristic marks of the species, though well depicted in the ori- 

 ginal by the obscure transverse streaks crossing the sides, are quite 

 omitted in the copy. 

 Tab. 94. fig. 1 . Cyprinus tileo, Buch. 



Tab. 95. fig. 1. Ophisurus boro, Buch. This species is referred to Bucha- 

 nan's manuscripts, but nothing is said to point out from whence the 

 drawing was obtained ; but it is so accurately traced from Buchanan's 

 original, as to remove any doubt on that score. — Fig. 2. Ophisurus ha- 

 rancha, Buch. By mistake on the part of the plagiarists in numbering 

 the figures, the details of the first are given to the second species. — P'ig.4. 

 Murcena raitaborua, Buch., disguised under the names of Rataboura 

 1 Hardwickii,' Gray ; thus not only depriving Buchanan of the honour 

 of figuring but also of naming a new species. As an instance of the 

 little reliance to be placed on those who thus appropriate the works of 

 others, it is necessary to observe, that the outline figure representing 

 the lower parts of Murama raitaborua is transferred to Ophisurus bora, 

 in return for that of the last having been given on the same plate to 

 Ophisurus harancha. In other plates not numbered, forming the 19th 

 and 20th parts, are pirated as follows : — 

 Holocentrus? Kalkaya, B. MS., two figures, name changed to • Pterapon 

 trivittatus.' — Coitus chaka, B. MS., name changed to • Platycephalus 

 chacca,' marked • natural size.' — Checlodipterus Bhutibue, B. MS., name 

 changed to ' Checlodipterus Butis,' and the species referred to ' Hamilton/ 

 but nothing said of the source of the two figures. — Cyprinus morar, B. MS., 

 two figures, and Cyprinus gora, B. MS., forming an entire folio plate ; the 

 name of the latter changed to ' Cyprinus cora.' — Clupanodon chapra, B. MS. ; 

 pirated figure called ' Alosa chapra, N. Indian Ocean:' what the latter 

 terms mean I cannot say, as the figure is from Buchanan's unpublished 

 drawings of Gangetic species ; like the remark ' natural size' annexed to 

 Cottus chaka, it is certainly calculated to impress the reader with the belief 

 that the author had seen the specimens from which the drawings were made. 

 Neither of the remarks in question appear on the original drawings, which 

 are characterized in Buchanan's hand-writing. 



Buchanan died in 1829. The work to which so much of his labour has 

 been transferred was published in 1833 ; and although no descriptions of the 

 plates have yet appeared, it is no excuse for having suppressed the source 

 from whence so many of them at least were derived, especially when it was 

 thought necessary to acknowledge the source of other figures in the same 

 work. These circumstances induced me to visit the Botanic Garden, with 



