﻿Cyprinodon. gangetic fishes. 255 



blunt ; and I do not think that a good generic character can, 

 in ahiiost any case, be derived from the number of rays in the 

 membranes covering the gills, not only as in many individuals 

 this is very difficult to ascertain, but also as it differs much in 

 fishes evidently belonging to the same genus. I, therefore, 

 unite this fish with the Cyprinodon of La Cepede, as it differs 

 just as much from the subsequent Cyprini as a Clupea does 

 from a Clupanodo?i. 



The Cundinga is found in the salt water estuaries of the 

 Ganges, and is a well flavoured fish, considerably larger than a 

 herring. It is of a long form, much compressed at the sides, 

 and is dusky green on the upper parts, and silver coloured 

 below. 



The head is oval, sharpish, of a moderate size, and devoid of 

 scales. The mouth is high, descends obliquely in a straight 

 line, and is large. The jaws have scarcely any lips, and the 

 under one is considerably the longest. In place of an upper 

 lip are two very long, blunt, flat bones, entire on the edges, de- 

 scending before almost vertically, and then bending back to a 

 horizontal position. In both jaws are crowded many minute 

 teeth ; and the same is the case on the upper surface of the 

 tongue, which is blunt, undivided, thick, and detached below. 

 On the fore part of the palate are three bones covered with 

 teeth. The intermediate one, standing transversely, is oblong ; 

 the side ones, standing longitudinally, widen at one end, and 

 narrow at the other. Each nostril has two oblong apertures, 

 mid-way between the eyes and jaw. The eyes are very large, 

 round, and convex, with oval pupils, the small ends pointing 

 downward. Each gill-cover is romided behind, and consists of 

 three plates. It exposes one half of its membrane, containing 

 twenty-five rays. The bones supporting the gills on their in- 

 ner edges have a row of bristles. 



