356 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE 
sweet. This species has quite the outline of the Tench, the arch of the back being greater 
than that of the belly. ‘The Bobree also has the outline, including the fins, of the C. 
Catla figured by Dr. Hamilton. The discrepancies are in the Catla having one ray more 
in the dorsal fin, in its nose not being tuberculated, in a larger head, in the scales 
being marked with vertical lines of dots, and being large, and in its greater size; but 
all these differences may be dependent on age or locality. 
In Riippell’s ‘ Fishes of the Nile’ there is a figure of a species of his genus Varico- 
rhinus (Tab. TIL. fig. 2.). Cuvier classes the Cyprinus Catla of Buchanan Hamilton, to 
which the Bobree is so nearly allied, with the division of the gold and silver Carps ; but 
it is a question whether it is not a real Labeo of Cuvier, with long dorsal, no spines or 
cirri, and thick fleshy lips, frequently crenated. 
Genus Barsus, Cuv. 
Barsus Mussurau. 
Tab. LXI. Fig. 4. 
A Barbus, with 12 rays in the dorsal, 8 in the anal, and 16 in the pectoral fins; with the mouth furnished 
with 4 very short cirri; and tuberculated nose ; sometimes 3 feet and more long, and a foot high, and 
weighing 42 pounds. 
Pectoral fins of 16 rays; ventral of 9 rays; dorsal fin of 12 rays, including the first 
double ray ; anal fin of 8 rays, including the first double ray: tail forked, of 24 rays, 
including the short rays at each exterior side of the insertion of the tail: a remark- 
able projecting prominence between the upper lip and nostrils, giving to the fish the 
appearance of being Roman-nosed: the eyes are situated far back, and between the 
eyes and the corners of the mouth there are a number of circular, rough, prominent 
papille, but these are not constant: corners of the mouth furnished with a short 
feeler, and the base of the nasal prominence, near the tip, also furnished with one on 
each side: dorsal fin in the centre of the back, on a prominence which slopes sud- 
denly behind; ventral fins on the centre of the belly, on a perpendicular from the 
first dorsal ray : tail suddenly narrows below, after the anal fin ; anal fin with the poste- 
rior angle bluntly rounded off. The lateral line is slightly arched at the shoulder, then 
falls, and runs straight to the anal fin; over this it rises a little, and then runs straight 
to the centre of the fork of the tail. The whole of the upper parts of the fish are 
covered with large, coarse, silvery scales, having blue and red reflections, and on the 
under parts a yellow tinge prevails; it is very bony, and its length, to the end of the 
fork of the tail, is 12 inches, and height, 3 inches; but its greatest growth is 5 feet. 
When small this species resembles the Kolus, but in the latter, the colour is more red- 
dish-silvery: the fins are reddish, and the Mussullah is a much coarser, and infinitely 
larger fish A male brought to me at Seroor, from the Goreh river, measured in length 
3 feet 4 inches, and in height 1 foot, and weighed nearly 42 Ibs. avoirdupois. The flesh 
al Ni i 
