,552 PHYSOSTOMI. 



Colours — of a dull silvery colour along tlie back, with an indistinct silvery band along tlie side, and of a dull 

 wliite beneath. A dark band along the dorsal fins, and caudal with a dark outer edge. 



Habitat. — South Canara, from whence H. S. Thomas, Esq.. of the Madras Civil Service, after whom I 

 have named the species, sent me two examples. ^ 



4. Scaphiodon Nashii, Plate CXXXIII, fig. 3. 



Barhus Nasldi, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 684.. 



B. iii, D. 14-15 (yfrfir), P- 15, V. 9, A. 7 (f), C. 20, L. 1. 40-43, L. tr. 7/7. 



Leno-th of head h\ to 6, of caudal 4i- to 4|, height of body 4 to 5 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 3 to 4 in the length of the head, 1 to 1,}- diameters from the end of snout, and \\ to If apart. The greatest 

 width of the head equals its length excluding the snout. Mouth broad, inferior, transverse, and overhung by 

 the snout.* Lips thin, without any transverse fold across the lower one. Snout in the adult covered by 

 papilla?. A thick horny covering inside the lower jaw in adults. UarieZ-s— absent. Teeth — pharyngeal, 

 crooked, sharp, 5, 4, 3/3, 4, 5. Fins — dorsal commences nearer the snout than the base of the caudal, it is 3/4 

 as high as the body, its upper edge concave, no osseous ray. Pectoral about as long as the head. Ventral 

 arises below the middle of the dorsal fin, and does not quite reach the anal, nor the latter the caudal which is 

 deeply forked. Free portion of the tail as long as high. Scales — 4| rows between the lateral-line and base of 

 ventral fin. Colours — roddish-brown along the back, abdomen silvery. A black band passes from the eye to 

 the centre of the caudal fin. A dark band along the middle third of the dorsal, which is edged superiorly by 

 scarlet, a dark band on anal having a light anterior edge : a dark edging to the caudal. The yomig are 

 silvery-gray along the back, becoming silvery on the sides : the lateral baud terminates in a black blotch at 

 the base of the caudal fin. 



Habitat.— Cooi-g, hill-streams of South Canara and the Wynaad. I received a small specimen (4 inches 

 long) in rather a mutilated condition from Praserpett, collected by Dr. Nash in 1868 ; lately I have received two 

 fine specimens from Mr. Thomas, collected in South Canara. 



5. Scaphiodon brevidorsalis, Plate CXXXIII, fig. 2. 



Semiplotus brevidorsalis, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 239. 



Mean-candee, Tamil. 



B. iii, D. 14 (J^-), V. 9, A. 7, L. 1. 39-40, L. tr. 7-8/9. 



Length of head 6, of caudal 4^, height of body Si in the total length. Eyes — diameter 3 to 4 in the 

 length of head, and situated in or rather before the middle of its length, and 2i apart. Dorsal profile much 

 more convex than that of the abdomen. Snout swollen, overhanging the jaws ; mouth inferior, transverse : 

 three rows of large pores across the snout, and extending on to the preorbital bone ; knob at symphysis badly 

 developed : a thin cartilaginous covering to both jaws. Upper lip crenulated. Barbels — absent. Fins — last 

 undivided dorsal ray osseous, very strong, entire, longer than the head by a distance equal to one diameter of 

 the orbit ; dorsal fin commences midway between the snout and the base of the caudal, the fin two-thirds as 

 high as the body below it. Pectoral falciform, extending to over the venti-al, which last is long, reaching to 

 the anal : caudal deeply forked. Scales — 4? rows between the lateral-line and the base of the ventral fin. 

 Colours — silvery, darkest along the back, fins stained with gray. 



Habitat. — Rivers below the Neilgherry hills in the Madras Presidency. 



Genus, 15 — Caeassius, Nilsson. 



Abdomen rounded. Snout obtuse and rounded. Mouth anterior, arched, and rather narrow : lips thin. No 

 barbels. Pharyngeal teeth compressed and in a single series, 4/4. Dorsal fin long, commencing opposite the ventrals, 

 and having its last undivided ray osseous and serrated : last undivided anal ray osseous and normally serrated. 

 Scales of moderate size. Lateral-line complete to the centre of the base of the caudal fin. 



Qeographical distribution. — Temperate portions of Europe and Asia; baring been domesticated it has 

 degenerated into numerous varieties. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 

 1. Carassius aiiratus, D. T-^'-jg, A. 3/5. From rifle green to silver or orange colours. Bombay? 

 China, &c. 



1. Carassius auratus. 

 Cyprinus auratns, Linn. Sys. Nat. vol. i, p. 527; Bl. Schu. p. 439 ; Lacep. vol. v, p. 553 ; Cuv. and Val. 

 vol. xvi, p. 101 ; Richard, Ich. China, p. 293. 



Carassius auratus, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. Cyp. p. 74 ; Gunther, Catal. vol. vii, p. 32 (exclude Cyprinus NuJcta.) 



* The mouth in this species alters so with age, that until I had compared specimens of my Osteochilus Malahariais with 

 gradations of Scaphiodon Nashii since obtained, I could have not believed in tlieir beins identical. In the young the jaws are 

 compressed, each with a cartilat;iiions covering : the lips at the angle are tliick and continuous, not continued across the chin. As age 

 increases the mouih widens, the cartilaginous covering becomes more horny, and the colours of the fish alter. 



