FAMILY, V— CYPRIXID^. 575 



the base of the caudal : tlie latter fin deeply forked. Lateral-line — complete, 2 rows of scales between it and the 

 base of the ventral fin : 8 rows before the dorsal. Free portion of the tail rather longer than high. Colours — 

 upper half of body steel-blue, becoming white tinged with golden on the sides and beneath. Sometimes a band 

 along the side, and a black spot on either side of the tail anterior to the caudal fin, tliis becomes indistinct after 

 specimens have been long macerated, but is very apparent in fresh ones especially those from the JIalabar coast ; 

 it is not well-marked, and often absent in those taken in Bombaj'. Fins yellowish, upper edge of dorsal usually 

 stained with black. In the monsoon time a crimson band along the sides is sometimes present. 



iZati'iai.— Central India, Deccan, Bombay and the Western coast of India, Sladras and up the coast as 

 high as Orissa. Generally attaining to about 6 inches in length. The specimen figured (life-size) was from 

 Jubbulpore. 



47. Barbus arulius, Plate CXLII, fig. 5. 



Systomus arulius and rubrotindus, Jerdon, M. J. L. and S. 1810, p. 317. 



P%mtius arulius. Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 29-i. 



Barbus arulius, Day, 1. c. 1868, p. 585, and 1870, p. 373, (not Giinther). 



B. iii, D. 11(1), P. 15, V. 9, A. 7(1), C. 18, L. 1. 21-23, L. tr. 4|/4i 



Length of head 4^ to 5, of caudal 41 to 5, height of body Sf to 4 in the total length. Eijes — diameter 

 3j in the length of the head, 1 diameter from the end of snout and also apart. Dorsal profile rather more 

 convex than that of the abdomen. Upper jaw overlapping the lower. Lower labial fold interrupted. Barbels — 

 a pair of long maxillary ones. Teeth — pharyngeal, 5, 3, 2/2, 3, 5, sharp and curved at their extremities. Fins — 

 no osseous dorsal ray, the fin which is 2/3 as high as the body commences midway between the end of the snout 

 and the base of the caudal, which last is deeply emarginate. Lateral-line — complete, 2| rows of scales between 

 it and the base of the ventral fin : 9 rows before the base of the dorsal fin. Free j^ortion of the tail as high at 

 its base as it is long. Colours — olive-green on the back, becoming silvery- white dashed with reddish green over 

 .the abdomen. A black blotch, about two scales in width, passes from below the origin of the dorsal fin as low 

 as the lateral-line : a second from just below the posterior extremity of the dorsal to the base of the anal : and 

 a third across the free portion of the tail before the caudal fin. Dorsal, caudal and anal pinkish with a black 

 bar across the summit of the first, whilst the caudal is stained at its edges. 



In Barbus rubrotindus, the barbels appear to have been overlooked. 



Habitat. — Wynaad and Neilgherry range of hills and the rivers at their bases, and at least as far south 

 as Cottayam in Travancore : also in the Cauvery, from whence it has been procured at Seringapatam where it is 

 termed Aruli. It attains 4 inches or more in length. The example figured (life-size) was from the Wynaad. 



48. Barbus Mahecola, Plate CXL, fig. 5. 



Leuciscus Mahecola, Cuv. and Val. xvii, p. 305, pi. 502 (Barbels omitted) ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 68 ; Jerdon, 

 Madr. Journ. Lit. and Science, 1849, p. 322. 



Barbus filamentosus, Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 145 (not Cuv. and Val.). 

 Puntius (Gapo'eta) lepidus, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 196. 



B. iii, D. 11 (I), P. 15, V. 9, A. 7 CI), C. 19, L. 1. 21, L. tr. 5/4. 



Length of head 4f to 5, of caudal 4 to 4j, height of body 3? to 3^ in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 3i in length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, 1^ diameters apart. Body compressed. Lower jaw the 

 shorter. Lower labial fold interrupted in the mesial line. In some specimens the snout is covered with large 

 pores. Barbels — a thin maxillary pair extending to below the centre of the orbit in some specimens, very 

 minute in others (see remarks, p. 556). Fins — last undivided dorsal ray articulated, smooth, feeble: the 

 branched rays are elongated in the adult, the fin commences midway between the snout and the base of the 

 caudal fin. Caudal deeply lobed. Lateral-line — complete, 2| rows of scales between it and the base of the 

 ventral. Free portion of the tail rather higher at its base than it is long. Colours — silvery white, with a deep 

 black oval mark on the lateral-line from about the fourteenth to the eighteenth scales. A dark band along 

 the dorsal fin. Caudal red, tipped with black. 



Having examined the type of Leuciscus Mahecola, I find it to be this species. The barbels were 

 overlooked by both the Artist and Valenciennes. The length of the barbels varies in this species, as has been 

 observed (see p. 556). In the Bowany river the snout is very tuberculated, as also in examples from 

 Pondicherry. Some examples have a dark spot behind the gill-opening. 



Habitat. — From Canara down the Western coast and along the base of the Neilgherries, and Travancore 

 hills, also Ceylon. It attains at least 6 inches in length. 



C. Without barbels (Puntius). 



a. Last undivided dorsal ray osseous and serrated. 



49. Barbus apogon, Plate CXLI, fig. 3. 

 Ba/rhus apogon, (Kuhl) Cuv. and Val. xvi, p. 392 ; Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 150. 

 Systomus apogon and apogonoides, Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. iii, p. 428, and ix, p. 150. 



