138 The Carnatic Carp. Chapt. x. 



natives said the fry could be taken in the dry weather (Chitra). 

 Native fishermen say that they feed freely on waterweed, and may 

 be taken with a piece used as a bait. Perhaps this is what the 

 peacock harl body is taken for. 



I am inclined to think that the same tactics would suit other 

 small-mouthed carps such as the Barbus Jerdoni, a most beautiful 

 fish, not unlike a Rudd, much more highly painted, and running 

 to 5 or 10 lbs. In earlier days I have seen them rising freely, and 

 could not hit it off with them. Would that I had such oppor- 

 tunities now. There are also several other similar fish that I should 

 think might be wooed and won in this fashion, but I have not 

 caught them. 



The following description of the Carnatic Carp is extracted 

 from Dr. Day's " Fishes of India " : — * 



Order. Physostomi. 



Family. Cyprinidce. 



Sub-Family. Cypriniuce. 



Genus. Barbus. 



Sub genus. Barbodes, with four barbels. 



Division b. Last undivided dorsal ray osseous and entire. 



Barbus Carnaticus. 



Jerdon, M. J. L. S., 1849, p. 311 ; Giinther, Catal VII, p. 128. 

 Puntius (Barbodes) Carnaticus, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1867, p. 292. 

 Foaree candee, Saal candee,f Shellee Tamil. Giddi-Kaoli, Hind. Qid- 

 palcke, Can. 



B. Ill, D. 12 (f) P. 15, V. 9, A. 7 (£) C. 19, L. I. 30-32 L. 

 tr. 5/6. 



Length of head 5f , of caudal 4i to 5, height of body 3 to 4 in the 

 total length. Eyes — diameter 3 to 4 in the length of the head, 1 

 diameter from the end of snout, and li to 2 apart. Inter-orbital space 

 flat. Dorsal profile more conv»x than that of the abdomen. Upper 

 jaw the longer. Lower labial fold interrupted. 7V, //, — pharyngeal, 

 pointed, curved, 5, 3, 2/2, 3, 5. Barbels — thin, both pairs shorter than 



» Pub. by Bernard Quaritch, 15, Piccadilly : 4 vols, 4to., £12 12,?. 



t Sil-hrndai, pronounced Slu-l-kriuL'ii, is the Tamil of the Coimbatore district for 

 the Carnatic Carp, while the same word -lands in the Tamil of the Tanjore district 

 for a Labeo, which again is called in Coimbatore, Karumula-Kend&i. Such local 

 variations in a single language increase the difficulty of arriving at correct vernacular 



names, and indicate the need tor extreme caution in the understanding of native 

 ?e>i tmoio . 



