﻿280 GANGETic FISHES. Order V. 



Tlie dorsal fin has a concave edge, forming a sharp angle at 

 each end : the first three of its rays are undivided, and closely 

 connected, and the first of them is very short ; the other thir- 

 teen are branched. ^Yhe pectoral fins are much smaller than the 

 head, and each has seventeen rays, of which the first is undi- 

 vided. The ventral fins are about as large as the pectorals, and 

 do not reach the vent : the first ray of each is undivided, and 

 the others branched. The fin behind the vent is near this or- 

 gan, slopes much backward, and forms an acute angle at the 

 fore end. Its two first rays are undivided, and closely conjoin- 

 ed ; the two last are so near that they might, perhaps, be con- 

 sidered as one. The lobes of the tail fin are sharp, and nearly 

 equal in length, and have convex edges : in all, the fin has nine- 

 teen distinct rays, besides several short compacted ones. 



22d Species. — Cyprinus reba. 



A Cyprinus of the Bangana kind, with two tendrils ; with 

 eleven rays in the fin of the back ; with eight in that behind 

 the vent ; and with fleshy lips. 



The Reba is pretty common in the rivers and ponds of Ben- 

 gal and Behar, especially in their northern parts. It grows to 

 ■about two feet in length ; and, although it is in no great request, 

 does not contain many bones, and has a good flavour. It is 

 subject to very considerable varieties of colour. In large clean 

 rivers, its general colour is silver ; but toward the back it has 

 some irregular longitudinal dark stripes. In ponds, again, and 

 small rivers full of weeds, the back is green, with a gloss of 

 gold, and the lower fins are tinged with red, which is not the 

 case in large rivers. 



The head is blunt and oval. The nose is very short, and the 

 tendrils are near its extremity and minute. The mouth is low, 

 extends horizontally, and is small. The jaws protrude in open- 



