214 TELEOSTEI. PIIYSOSTOMI. 





numerous bones with which they are provided. Natives, however, 

 do not seem to object much to this, and as these fish are very 

 abundant in places, they enter largely into the diet of the 

 indigenous population. 



Indian carps do not appear to restrict themselves so much to a 

 vegetable diet as do those in Europe. Those which prey upon 

 their neighbours, as might be anticipated, are largely represented ; 

 whilst those small forms that were apparently produced to be 

 preyed upon are the most prolific. 



Synopsis of Indian Subfamilies. 



Air-bladder enclosed partially or entirely in a bony 



capsule Cobitidina;. 



Air-bladder not enclosed in bone, and sometimes 



absent Cyprinince. 



A. Subfamily COBITIDINA. 



Pseudobranchire absent. Body elongate, oblong, compressed, or 

 cylindrical, but never depressed. Snout and lips fleshy. Mouth 

 small, inferior, and furnished with from six to twelve barbels. 

 Pbaryngeal teeth few, and in one row. Vertical fins spineless. 

 Dorsal fin with a varying number of rays (8-30) ; anal with few 

 (7-8) ; ventrals present or absent. Scales small and cycloid when 

 present, and usually immersed in mucus ; rarely present on the 

 head*. Lateral line single. Air-bladder entirely or partially 

 enclosed in a bony capsule. 



Geographical Distribution. Loaches are found in tanks and rivers 

 throughout the hills and plains of India and Burma, but apparently 

 are absent from the Andaman Islands. These fish are mostly 

 taken by baling out tanks commencing to dry up, but as they move 

 about in the mud, they are usually difficult to capture. 



Synopsis of Indian Genera. 



A. An erectile spine near the orbit. 



Barbels 6 to 8 ; 4 rostral, 2 maxillary, and 

 sometimes 2 mandibular. Spine 

 euborbital. Dorsal fin (10 to 15 

 rays) commencing before the ven- 

 tral ; caudal forked 1. BOTIA. 



Barbels 8; 2 maudibular. Spine before 

 the orbit. Dorsal fin (12 rays) oppo- 

 site the ventrals ; caudal forked .... 2. ACANTHOPSIS. 



* Lepidoccphalichthys has scales upon its sub- and post-orbital regions, us 

 well as on the upper portion of the opercles. 



