WATERS OF WESTERN INDIA. 15 



" sparrow-fish. " Unlike the garfishes, which often come close in shore, 

 these affect the deepest water, but like the former, remain near the 

 surface. All readers in Bombay must have seen them in the 

 Arabian Sea. On the coast they are rare, and I get but few speci- 

 mens, and seldom see them when sailing near Bombay. 



One might almost say that at that point about the deep-sea 

 soundings line where you begin to see sea-snakes, you stop 

 seeing flying fish. The best way of observing them is to stand in 

 the very eyes of a steamer, and watch those which fly right 

 ahead, and therefore give the longest view. The general colour is 

 blue above and white below, but several are barred (especially the 

 young) or spotted, and the play of light on their wet scales and 

 pinions is something wonderful. They are, like the rest of the 

 family, very fair eating. 



The nest family, Cyprinodontidce, is small, and of no account, 

 but its successor, the family of Cyprinidce, or Carps, is of very great 

 importance here, including a great majority of the fresh-water fishes 

 of the Konkan, both by tale of individuals and variety of species. 

 Inland the Cat-fishes rival the Carps, but here we have but few deep 

 and muddy fresh waters fit for cat-fishes, and so these are only locally 

 common in fresh water. 



For the purposes of this paper, we may divide the Cyprinidce 

 into three sub-families, the first of which is composed of the 

 loaches. These and the Alpine carps (Discognathi) , have been 

 already disposed of, in dealing with the Konkan-ghat-mata. 



The second (this present division is rather convenient than 

 scientific) includes the "Rohos" (Laheo) which in appearance and 

 habit, most approach the European carp, the type of the family ; 

 being all vegetable-feeders, with a preference for comparatively 

 still waters. The typical Roho himself (Labeo Rohita) is not found 

 here at all, and his place is taken- by Labeo Calbasu, and (I think) 

 L. dussamieri. 



The former is described by Major Beavan as "dark in colour, 

 generally blotchy, and very slimy/' but I do not find that this applies 

 to specimens taken from clear streams in the hot weather, which were 

 bright and clean, with many of the scales about the deepest part 

 of the side spotted scarlet. Dr. Day also notices this coloration ; 

 and it has to be noted that he had personal experience of this fish 

 on the West Coast, which Beavan had not. All the Cyprinidce are 

 very liable to local variation in colour, aud sometimes even in shape. 



