﻿Cyprinus. gangetic fishes. 297 



middle of the tail, and slopes backward : the three first of its 

 rays are closely united and undivided ; and the others are 

 branched, the last of them being divided to the root. The fin 

 of the tail is divided into two equal lobes, and contains nine- 

 teen distinct rays, besides several short compacted ones. 



37th Species. — Cyprinus calbasu. Plate II. Fig. 83. 



A proper Cyprinus, with four tendrils ; with sixteen rays in 

 the fin of the back, and eight in that behind the vent ; with the 

 nose smooth, and projecting considerably beyond the mouth ; 

 and with lips indented on the edge. 



The Calbasu [Kalhosn) is very common in the rivers and 

 ponds of Bengal, and is also found in the western provinces. 

 It has a strong affinity to the Barbell {Cyprinus barbus) of 

 England, but is deeper in the form. It is often found a foot 

 and a half in length, and sometimes twice that size, and is a 

 well tasted light food, but contains many small bones. It is of 

 an oblong compressedyonw, more protuberant above than below, 

 and, in general, is of a dark olive colour, with a silvery gloss, 

 inclining to yellow, on the belly, while the scales are covered 

 with numerous black dots. In some places, as at Mungger, 

 where the water is clear, on a rocky or pure sandy bottom, 

 many of the scales on the sides assume a ferruginous colour, 

 and the fish is then considered as of a distinct species, and call- 

 ed Kundhna ; but I have no doubt that this difference of colour 

 is a mere accidental circumstance. The eyes are orange- 

 coloured. 



The head is blunt, small, and devoid of tubercles or large 

 pores. The tendrils are short, thick, and incurved, the two 

 longest proceeding from the end of the nose, and the two 

 shorter from the middle of the upper jaw. The nose projects 

 considerably beyond the mouth, and is covered with minute 



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