340 REPORT ON FISIIKS. PART II: SISORIDAF. AND CYPKINIUAE 



ments of semi-digested insect larvae and a kind of suft, pulpy ori^anic sul)stance mixed with 

 sand and gravel and bits of twigs and weeds were fonnd. I'rom a large gravid female. 

 425 mm. from Spitnk Inmps of semi-digested fleshy substance and large (luantity of frag- 

 ments of fish bones were also found. Judging from the nature of the stomach contents 

 it appears that 5". csocinus is .somewhat a dirty, nonselective and mixed feeder, but its short 

 intestine indicates that it feeds chiefly on animal matter. It is believed to be a scavenger lish, 

 feeding on dead fish and other organisms at the Ixittoni of pools, etc. 



Breeding: Nothing is definitely known about the breeding habits of the species, but 

 it is significant that all the fenialc specimens c()llected by the \'ale North India ivxpedition 

 during the months of April and June Uar mature eggs. 



Parasites: A species of Acanthocej)halan worm lias been found in moderate numbers 

 in the intestine of certain specimens from Srinagar and Spitok. 



Distribution: Scliizotliorax csocinus is distributed in I.eh ;ni(l I.adak, in the head 

 waters of the Indus, in the Kashmir and in the ("hitral valleys and in Afghanistan. In the 

 Kashmir valle\' the species is popularly known ;is ''cliiruh" ( Ilutchinson). 



Sclii.Z()tli(>rax plunifroiis IJeckel 



1838. Schi::ulhorax planifroiis. lleckel, /•'/.scZ/r aus Kiuchmir, p. 48, pi. viii, fig. 2. 



1844. Schisothorax plamfrons. Heekel, Fisclic Kaschinir's in /7((;,'(7'.v h'cisc, p. 370, 3 figs. 



18()8. Scliizollwrax phiiiifrcnis, (jiinther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., \'II, ]>. lo3. 



1877. Schizothorax plamfrons, Day, Fish. India, p. 532 (footnote). 



1889. Schizothorax planifrons, Day, Faun. Brit. Ind. Fish., I, p. 252 (footnote). 



191(3. .Srhizothorax planifrons, Zugmayer, Zool. Jahrh. .Ihlh. Syst., XXIX, ]>. 278. 



The Yale North liulia Expedition obtained 9 specimens of the species in March-May, 

 1932, from the following localities: 



Canal to Dal Lake; Srinagar (Sta. K 6) ; ca. 5.200 ft 2 (212 mm., £ ; 200mni., 9 ) 



Dal. Lake: Srinagar (Sta. K6) ; ca. 5.200 ft 3 (218nini., 9 ; 178 mm., 9 ; 165 mm.) 



Channel, Manasbal Lake: Srinagar (Sta. K 48) ; 5,196 ft 4 (235 mm., i ; 178 mm., 9 ; 



175 mm., £ : 168 mm., S ) 



Schizothora.Y phinifrons is a narrow and elongated form; the ma.xiinum depth of the 

 body is contained from 4.5 to 5.3 times in the total length excluding the caudal and the 

 least height of the caudal peduncle is about twice in its length. The mouth is somewhat 

 anterior, oblique and wide, and the chin is sharply ascending forwards. The jaws are almost 

 of ecpial length. The margin of the lower jaw is not sharp, but its inside is covered with 

 a thin deciduous cartilaginous layer" (Text-figure 7), which in some cases may be absent. 

 The lips are thick, the lower one l>eing broadly interrupted in the middle. The barbels are 

 nearly equal to or slightly longer than the di;imeter of the eye. The head is elongated, flat 



"The presence of this diaracter may induce an impression that the species is a hybrid between .Schizolliora.x 

 and Orciitu.'!, but in such hybrids the manifestation of tliis diaracter is always more pronounced and attended witli 

 several other Orciiius characters. I am inclined to think that the development of a thin cartilaginous layer on the 

 inner margin of S. planijrous is an adaptive modification which can be correlated with the scraping and scooping 

 mode of feeding of the species. Furthermore, it is suggested by Dr. Hora that the mouth parts of .V. plauijroits 

 indicate the probable mode of evolution of the Oreinus type of structure which in this case may have developed 

 in sluggish waters for scraping food from hard objects and later becomes accentuated in swift currents. 



