Oreinus. INDIAN CYPRINID/. 343 
upturned mouth, its small size compared with the other Barbels, its shorter 
abdominal canal, and the bright spot or golden tinge on the operculum, 
while the absence of the tooth on the lower jaw, and of stripes or spots on the 
body, and the small anal, are characters which must place it with Barbels. 
Sus-Gen.—OREINUS, J.M. 
Mouth directed downwards, lower jaw shorter than the upper, snout 
muscular and projecting, furnished with cirri. Dorsal preceded by a serrated 
spinous ray. Scales small. Intestinal canal and stomach form a more or less 
capacious tube from five to six lengths of the body. 
The only three species known are herbivorous; with one, O. progastus, 
I have been acquainted since my visit to Upper Assam, a second was brought 
down by Mr. Griffith in June last from Boutan, and a third still more recently 
by Dr. Macleod from Simla. It was not until I received this last, that I was 
fully impressed with the necessity of separating them from the true Barbels, 
not only on account of their herbivorous habits, but of their peculiar form, and 
the structure of their mouth, which altogether indicate a relation to the Gonor- 
hynchs, while the intestinal canal and dorsal spine bring them closer to the 
Barbels, as a subordinate part of which genus we may still consider them. 
I.—O. procastus, J. M. 
Pl. 40. f. 4. 
Adoee of the Assamese. 
This species is easily known by its lengthened and fleshy snout, small 
mouth, and the suborbitar bones forming a narrow band below and behind the 
eyes, dorsal fin anterior to the middle of the body, with a strong ensiform spine 
toothed behind ; the abdomen is abruptly enlarged beneath the pectorals, by 
which character alone it is readily distinguished from all other species of the 
