FAMILY, V— CTPRINID^. 551 



Geographical distrihution. — Rivers of Western Asia extending to those in Sind and along the Western 

 Ghauts, as low as the Neilgherry hills and rivers at their base. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



A. — A pair of maxillary barbels. 



1. Scaphiodon Watsoni, D. 13, L. 1. 33, L. tr. 6/6. A pair of maxiUaiy barbels. Last undivided dorsal 

 ray, osseous, serrated. Sind hills and Punjab salt range. 



2. Scaphiodon irregularis, D. 13, L. 1. 36, L. tr. 9/9. A pair of maxillary barbels. Last undivided dorsal 

 ray osseous, serrated. Sind hills. 



B. — Barbels absent. 



3. Scaphiodon Thomassi, D. 14-15, L. 1. 39. Barbels absent. Last tindivided dorsal ray articulated. 

 Silvery. South Canara. 



4. Scaphiodon Nashii, D. 14-15, L. 1. 40-43. Barbels absent. Last undivided dorsal ray articulated. 

 A black band along the side ; fins with black marks. Coorg, hiU streams of Wynaad and South Canara. 



6. Scaphiodon brevidorsalis, D. 14, L. 1. 40. Barbels absent. Last undivided dorsal ray osseous, entire. 

 Silvery. Rivers at base of Neilgherry hills. 



A. — A pair of maxillary barbels. 

 1. Scaphiodon Watsoni, Plate CXXXV, fig. 2. 

 Day, Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1872, Vol. xli, jit. ii, p. 324. 

 B. iii, D. 13(^), P. 15, V. 8, A. 9(f), C. 19, L. 1. 33, L. tr. Bje. 



Length of head 1/5, of caudal 1/5, height of body 2/9 of the total length. Eyes — situated in the last 

 part of the anterior half of the head, diameter 2/9 of length of head, 1| diameters from end of snout. 

 Interorbital space rather convex. Snout rounded, rather overhanging the mouth, and covered with glands : 

 mouth transverse, inferior : mandibles sharp, not enveloped by lip, and having a horny layer inside. Barbels — 

 a maxillary pair as long as the eye. Teeth — pharyngeal, plough-shaped, 4, 3, 2/2, 3, 4. Fins — dorsal 

 commences rather in front of the ventrals, and midway between the end of snout and base of caudal, its last 

 undivided ray strong, osseous, serrated, as long as the head without the snout, and nearly as long as the 

 branched rays which are two-thirds as high as the body. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout, 

 but not reaching the ventrals. Caudal forked. Lateral-line — very slightly curved, 3j rows of scales between 

 it and ventral fin. Colours — silvery, dashed with gold, lightest on the abdomen. Various and very irregular 

 black spots on the body. 



Habitat. — Rivers on Sind hills and salt range of the Punjab. 



2. Scaphiodon irregularis, Plate CXXXV, fig. 3. 

 Day, Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1871, Vol. xli. pt. ii, p. 324. 



B. iii, D. 13(t^), p. 17, V. 8, A. 2/7, C. 19, L. 1. 36, L. tr. 9/9. 



Length of head 1/5, of caudal 1/5, height of body 1/5 of the total length. Eyes — situated rather before 

 the middle of the length of head, fi diameters from end of snout, and also apart. Interorbital space nearly 

 flat. Snout somewhat rounded, covered with glands and having a depression across it from eye to eye. Mouth 

 transverse, upper jaw slightly the longer. Barbels — a maxillary pair nearly as long as the eye. Fins — dorsal 

 commences rather before the ventrals, midway between the end of the snout and the base of the caudal, its 

 third undivided ray is osseous, weak, and serrated, nearly half as long as the head, whilst the fin is three-fourths 

 as high as the body. Pectoral nearly as long as the head. Caudal forked, its lower lobe the longer. Scales — 

 two or three rows above the lateral-line are of a large oblong form, above which are numerous little irregular 

 ones continued forwards to the head : 4| rows between tl^e lateral-line and the base of the ventral fin. 

 Colours — olive, shot with gold. 



This species is closely allied to the last, from which it more especially differs in the scaling. 



Habitat. — Sind hills to 3500 feet elevation. 



3. Scaphiodon Thomassi, Plate CXXXIV, fig. 1. 



B. iii, D. 14-15 (tt^ty), P- 16, V. 9, A. 8 (|), C. 19, L. 1. 39, L. tr. 71?. 



Length of head 5t to 6, of caudal 4} to 4|, height of body 3| in the total length. Eyes— diametc-r 4i 

 in the length of the head, 2 to 2j diameters from the end of snout, and 2 apart. Height of head almost equals 

 its length, its width is much less. Snout obtuse, overhanging the mouth, which is transverse : its width 

 equalling that of the head behind the middle of tlie eyes. Mandible anteriorly with a liorny covering. Lips 

 not continuous, the upper one fringed. Large pores on the snout and upper li]3, and a line of them continued 

 to under the eye. Barbels — absent. Fins — dorsal arises slightly nearer the snout than the base of the caudal, 

 it is 3/4 as high as the body, its last undivided ray weak, articulated. Pectoral as long as the head. Ventral 

 arises under the fourth or fifth dorsal ray, it does not quite reach the anal, the latter when laid flat extends to 

 the caudal, which is deeply forked. Scales — 4^ rows between the lateral-line and the base of the ventral fin. 



