﻿Cyprinus. gangetic fishes. 283 



24th Species. — Cyprinus bata, 



A Cyprinus of the Bangana kind, without tendrils ; with 

 twelve rays in the fin of the back, and eight in that behind the 

 vent ; with the under lip smooth-edged and erect ; with the 

 upper lobe of the tail fin the longest ; and with all the fins 

 pale-coloured. 



The Bata is another beautiful fish, found in the rivers and 

 ponds of Bengal. Its usual size is about a foot in length, but 

 it sometimes grows to eighteen inches. Out of water it is te- 

 nacious of life, and spawns in the commencement of the rainy 

 season. In respect of colour the fins are much dotted, and that 

 of the tail has an ill defined transverse bar. The eyes are sil- 

 ver, stained with red. 



The head is oval, and narrower than the body. l^h.ejarvs in 

 opening protrude scarcely any thing; the under one is the 

 shortest. The lips are fleshy, the upper having scarcely any 

 lateral bones, and being smooth-edged. The nostrils are very 

 near the eyes, which are in the middle of the head with respect 

 to its length, are level, and of moderate size, the pupil having 

 its longest diameter vertical. Each gill-cover has two plates, 

 and leaves its membrane exposed. 



The body is covered with large adhesive scales, striated on 

 the centre. Above each ventral fin is a scale-like appendant. 

 The belly is rather more prominent than the back, and the tail 

 tapers gradually] above and below. The lateral line is bent 

 down with a curve. 



The first ray of the dorsal fin is short, and closely united with 

 the second, which, like it, is undivided ; the others are branch- 

 ed, the last of them being divided to the root. The pectoral 

 fins are low, and are nearly as long as the head ; each has 

 seventeen rays, of which the first is undivided. The ventral 

 fins are smaller than the pectorals : the first and last rays of 



