Mr. J. M'Clelland on Indian Cyprinidae. 39 



4. An examination of the viscera connected with the digest- 

 ive organs, together with the form of the mouth, suggested 

 the possibihty of identifying something on which the natural 

 arrangement of fishes might be founded. In those Carps 

 whose mouths are constructed for the collection of vegetable 

 food, I found, as might be expected, the greatest development 

 of intestinal canal ; in these the mouth is invariably either 

 horizontal or directed downwards, as in the Cirrhins : all such 



Buchanan on the original drawing, is preserved in the pirated copy. 

 Fig. 4. Syngnathus deolpata, Buch. 

 Tab. 91. fig. 1. Mystus chitol, Buch. Colouring much exaggerated in the 



pirated copy. 

 Tab, 93. fig. 1. Cyprinns mosal, Buch. Two figures, and two of Cypriuus 

 morala, id. Tlie coloured copy of this last is so badly executed, that 

 the characteristic marks of the species, though well depicted in the ori- 

 ginal by the obscure transverse streaks crossing the sides, are quite 

 omitted in the copy. 

 Tab. 94. fig. ]. Cyprinns fileo, Buch. 



Tab. 95. fig. 1. Ophisurus boro, Buch. This species is referred to Bucha- 

 nan's manuscripts, but nothing is said to point out from whence the 

 drawing was obtained ; but it is so accurately traced from Buchanan's 

 original, as to remove any doubt on that score. — Fig. 2. Ophisurut; lia- 

 rancha, Buch. By mistake on the part of the plagiarists in numbering 

 the figures, the details of the first are given to the second species. — I''ig-4. 

 Murcena raifahortta, Buch., disguised under the names of Ratahoura 

 ^ Hardwickii,' Gray ; thus not only depriving Buchanan of the honour 

 of figuring but also of naming a new species. As an instance of the 

 little reliance to be placed on tliose who tluis appropriate the works of 

 others, it is necessary to observe, that the outline figure representing 

 tlie lower parts of Muro'na railaborua is transferred to Ophisurus bora, 

 in return for that of the last having been given on the same plate to 

 Ophisurus harancha. In other plates not numbered, forming the ] 9th 

 and 20th parts, are pirated as follows : — 

 Holocentrus ? Kalkaya, B. MS., two figures, name changed to ' Plerapon 

 trivittatus.' — Coitus chaka, B. MS., name changed to ' Plalyccplialus 

 chacca,' marked ^ natural size.' — Checlodiptenis Bhutibue, B.MS., name 

 changed to ' Checlodipterus Butis,' and the species referred to ' Hamilton,' 

 but nothing said of the source of the two figures. — Cyprinus morar, B. MS., 

 two figures, and Cyprinus gora, B. MS., forming an entire folio plate ; the 

 name of the latter changed to ' Cyprinus cora.' — Clupanodon citapra, B. MS. ; 

 pirated figure called ' Alosa chapra, N. Indian Ocean:' what the latttr 

 terms mean I cannot say, as the figure is from Buchanan's unpublished 

 drawings of Gangetic species ; like the remark ' natural size' aiuie.xed to 

 Cottus chaka, it is certainly calculated to impress the reader with the belief 

 that the author had seen the specimens from wliich the drawings were made. 

 Neither of the remarks in question appear on the original drawings, which 

 are characterized in Buchanan's hand-writing. 



Buchanan died in 1829. Tlie work to which so much of his labour has 

 been transferred was published in 18.'5.']; and although no descriptions of the 

 plates have yet appeared, it is no excuse for having suppressed the source 

 from whence so many of them at least were derived, especially when it was 

 thought necessary to acknowledge the source of otlier figures in the same 

 work. These circumstances induced me to visit the Botanic Garden, with 



