FAMILY, V— CYPRINID^. 509 



the abdominal edge cutting from below tlie pectoral to the anal fin. Teeth — pharyngeal, 5, 4, 1/1, 4, 5. Fins — 

 dorsal arises midway between the hind edge of the orbit and the posterior extremity of the caudal fin, and 

 slightly behind the origin of the anal. Pectoral reaching anal. Caudal deeply forked. Lateral-line — curved 

 downwards, 3,V rows of scales between it and the base of the ventral fin. Colours — silvery, with some golden 

 vertical stripes during life. Pine dots over the body, and a black mark, shot with green, above the base of the 

 pectoral fin, and another at the base of the caudal : the last third of the lobes of the caudal fin in some, 

 especially Burmese specimens, are tipped with black. The black spot on the side of the tail is absent in some 

 examples. 



Eabitat. — Ganjam, Orissa, Bengal, Central India, Assam and I^urma ; attaining at least 85 inches in length. 

 The example figured vras from Burma. 



3. Perilampus Ceylonensis. 



Eustira Ceylonensis, Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 331. 



B. iii, D. 12 (t%), p. 17, V. 7, A. 17(^), C. 19, L. 1. 35, L. tr. 7|/2. 



Length of head 4, of caudal 4, height of body 4 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/3 of length 

 of head, 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout. Posterior extremity of maxilla extends to below the anterior 

 margin of the orbit : lower jaw the longer. Fiii.s — origin of dorsal opposite commencement of anal. Pectoral 

 reaching the ventral. Colours — uniform silvery. 



Habitat. — Ceylon. The specimens in the British Museum are nearly 2 inches in length. 



Genus, 27 — Chela,* Ham. Buchanan. 



Oxygaster, v. Hass. ; Leuciscus, sp. Cuv. and Val. : Salmophasia, Swainson ; MacrocMrichthys and 

 Paralauhuca, Bleeker. 



Body rather elongate and compressed : abdominal edge cutting. Pseudohranchice present. Mouth directed 

 somewhat upwards, with the lower jaw prominent, and generally with a knob above the symphysis. Barbels absent. 

 Pharyngeal teeth hooked and slender, in two or three rows. Dorsal Jin short, without any osseous ray, situated 

 principally or entirely oppiosite the anal, ivhich latter has an elongated base. Pectorals long. Caudal forked. 

 Scales of moderate or small size. Lateral-line concave. 



i)r. Giinther suggests the following sub-genera : 



a. The trenchant thoracic edge anterior to the pectoral supported by the dilated bones of the forearm. — 



OXTGASTEE. 



a. Pharyngeal teeth in three rows. Oxy(jaster. 



/3. „ ,, two ,, Maerochirichthys. 



b. The thoracic edge not supported by the dilated bone of the forearm. Securicula. 



Geographical distribution. — Sind, Continent of India, Burma, and extending to the Malay Archipelago. 



Generally termed Vellache-candee in Tamil : Bay-ree-saie and Baarsee, Tel. : Bounce-putti, Ooriah : Took, 

 Punjab. 



It appears that several individual variations occur amongst the species belonging to this genus, not only 

 in the number of anal rays, but also in the number of scales, as well as in that of the rows between the dorsal 

 fin and the lateral-line. Irrespective of this the comparative width of the suborbita,l ring of bones to that 

 of the uncovered portion of the cheek is liable to vary in examples of the same species. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



A. — Bones of forearm support the edge of thorax, (Oxygaster) . 



1. Chela gora, D. 9-10, A. 15-16, L. 1. 140-160, L. tr. 18-20/18. Sind, Continent of India except its 

 southern portion. 



B. — Bones of forearm do not support the edge of tliorax, (Securicula). 



2. Chela Sladoni, D. 10, A. 20-21, L. 1. 65-68, L. tr. 10/8. Irrawaddi river. 



* Descriptions have been published by Hamilton Buchanan and Sykes, of some small fishes belonging to this genus, also to 

 Bwiliius. As I am unable to recognize them with ceitainty, I place them in this note : — 



1. Cyprinus hoalius. Ham. Buch. " Fish. Ganges." pp. ;53(), 392 ; Cuv. and Val. xvi,p.442. Leuciscus hoalius, Bleeker, Beng. 

 p. 68. D. 9, V. 9, A. 10. Much compressed. Green above, silvery below. Northern Bengal to 5 inches in length. 



2. Cyprinus borelio. Ham. Buch. 1. c. pp. 336, 392 ; Cuv. and Val. xvi, p. 443. Leuci.icus borelio, Bleeker, Beng. p. 66. 

 D. 9, V. 8, A. 11,C. 18. Long and compressed. Silvery above tinged with green: deep yellow below. Eyes silvery. Gangetic 

 Provinces, to 4 inches. This may belong to genus Ba/i-ilius, and be the young of 13. bendelisis. 



3. Cyprinus solio, H. Bueh. 1. c. ; Cuv. and Val. xvi, p. 444. Leuciscus solio, Bleeker, Beng. p. 08. D. 9, V. 8, A. U. Only 

 differs from last in colour of belly. ICosi river. This and the last are probably the same. 



4. Chela jorah, Sykes, "Transactions, Zool. Soc." ii, p. 361. Leuciscus jorah, Bleeker, Beng. p. 68 ; Jerdon, Madras J. L. 

 and Sc. 1849, p. 323. D. 10, P. 12, V. 8, A. 11, C. 18. Compressed fish. Back dark, with purplish shade, sides and abdomen silvery. 

 Beema river, near Fairgaon in the Deccan. 



6. Chela alkootee, Sykes, 1. c. p. 362. Leuciscics alhootee, Bleeker, Beng. p. 66 ; Jerdon, I. c. p. 324. D. 10, P. 10, V. 7, A. 10. 

 Sides slightly compressed, Imck and belly rounded (?) ; back str.iight. Scales very minute. Lateral-line quite straight (?). Silvery, 

 with a biack circle round the eye. Deccan, to 1 inch in length. 



