310 ICHTHYOLOGY. 



CARP FAMILY. 



The carp tribe has more species in these Provinces 

 than any other family with which I am acquainted. It 

 embraces representatives of carps, cirrins, labeo, barbels, 

 breams, sustomus, perilamps, opsarions, bacailas, gudgeons, 

 white-fish, and loaches. 



CARP. 



Buchannan says of the catla that it " differs from the 

 common carp of Europe only in wanting cirri." The 

 carp of our waters has precisely the same number of fin 

 rays as the catla, and four cirri also, like the European 

 carp ; but M'Clelland adds : " It also differs from that 

 species in the want of spinous rays in the dorsal and 

 anal, as well as in general form. It approaches however, 

 much nearer the Prussian carp, C. gibelio, the general 

 figure, character of the fins, and number of their ray*. 

 being the same in both, but they differ in the size of their 

 scales and proportion of the head." 



Our species, although it bears a strong resemblance to 

 the European carp, does not correspond exactly to the de- 

 scription of any European, or Indian species to which I 

 can refer. It belongs to the genus cirrinus as defined by 

 M'Clelland, which he says is " represented in America 

 by the catastomi, and in Europe by Cyprinus proprius." 

 The peculiar fleshy lips of this and the two or three species 

 following, bear a very strong resemblance to the lips of 

 the catastomi of the Ohio river. Unlike the catla the head 

 is short, forming about one fourth of the whole length 

 from the snout to the base of the caudal fin, and its 

 depth about two thirds of its length. 



The back which is raised like the common carp, is of 

 deep lead colour, gradually growing lighter towards the 

 belly, which is white; but the centre of each scale all over 

 the body is tinged with red, of greater or less intensity 

 which distinguishes it at a glance from the allied species 

 There are forty two scales on the lateral line, and four- 

 teen from the ventral fin to the first ray of the dorsal* 

 D. 18 : P. 18 : V. 9 : A. 8 C. 19. 



