Mr. J. McClelland on Indian Cyprinidae. 197 



between the former and latter to unite is indicated, thus form- 

 ing the subtypical group (Sarcoborince) into a circle. 



A similar thing may be seen in the aberrant group (Apa- 

 lopterince), in which the Schisturm form one extremity and the 

 Platycara the other, the intermediate space being occupied 

 with the Pceciliana, Psilorhynchi, and true Loaches. The en- 

 tire caudal of the former points out their relation to Cobitis 

 prop. ; but until analysis be extended to all known species, ■ 

 European and American, the attempt to reduce the smaller 

 groups to anything like precision would be difficult and un- 

 certain, from the greater chance there is of the series being 

 less complete than in the higher groups, of which we might 

 always hope to possess at least a specimen of each genus. 

 I shall therefore content myself with having submitted the 

 preceding tabular view r of the principal group, referring to the 

 elucidation of genera for further details, in the confident ex- 

 pectation that what has already been demonstrated will induce 

 naturalists to investigate the subject from the materials of 

 other countries as well as of this. 



We are far from being prepared to point out the most cha- 

 racteristic types even of our Indian groups of this family. In- 

 deed there may yet be some unexpected forms unknown to us, 

 the discovery of which would necessarily derange any attempt 

 we could now make to trace in further detail the parallel rela- 

 tions of the minor groups among themselves. Six species 

 collected in the mountain-streams at Simla by Dr. MacLeod, 

 and obligingly submitted to me, have proved to be all unde- 

 scribed, and one of them affords the type of a new genus, 

 Oreinus, or Mountain Barbels, of which I had before received 

 from Mr. Griffith a species from Boutan (O. guttatus) ; but as 

 there was but one specimen in Mr. Griffith's collections, and 

 that considerably injured, I hesitated to form from it alone the 

 characters of a new group*. This genus has the form of 

 Gonorhynchus ; the mouth is situated in like manner under 

 the head, but the alimentary canal is considerably shorter, 

 and the dorsal is preceded by a spine, as in the Barbels. 



51. I am uncertain as to the habits of the European Breams, 

 not having examined them myself; but from all that I can 

 glean on the subject, they appear to be insectivorous, and in 

 the best figures I can find of them the mouth appears to be 

 directed upward, and the anal fin to be long : these charac- 

 ters may prove to be analogies rather than affinities to the 

 Perilamps ; and until the point be decided, the parallel rela- 



* Ci/prinus Ricliardsonii figured in Hardwicke's ' Illust.,' tab. 94, fig. 2, 

 is an Oreinus, and may be appropriately named 0. punctatus. 



