ICHTHYOLOGY. 19 



(4th). From the west of Yarkand to the Pamir Schizothomx, Schizopygopsis and 

 Diptychus, all forms found in Turkestan or adjacent regions, and likewise 

 Nemacheilus were obtained. 



The foregoing species constitute the fish-collection made in the cold and inhospitable 

 regions traversed by the Mission ; and they are of interest for the purpose of ascertaining 

 what are the chief characteristics of the fish-fauna, and what relationship it bears to those of 

 contiguous Asiatic regions, so far as such have been ascertained. 



In this inquiry it will be necessary to take a survey of the fishes of Afghanistan, 

 Western Turkestan, and Hindustan, before proceeding further respecting those of Tibet and 

 Yarkand or Eastern Turkestan. 



Most of our knowledge of the fishes of Afghanistan is due to the labours of Griffith, 

 who remarked : " The characteristic forms of Afghan fish are doubtless the small-scaled 

 Barbi and Oreini ; and these far exceed the others in number .... The fish are as distinct 

 from the Indian forms as the plants are .... By characteristic I do not mean that these 

 forms are limited to Afghanistan, because they occur perhaps to an equal extent in the 

 Himalayas, to the streams of which those of Afghanistan approximate more or less in the 

 common features of rapids and bouldery beds." 



Having crossed the high range of mountains separating Afghanistan from the plains of 

 Western Turkestan, he found "a great change in the fish to occur, and Salmonidce 1 seem to 

 take the precedence of the Cyprinidce. A species of trout abounds in the Bamean River and 

 up its small tributaries, derived from the Koh-i-Baba, to an altitude of about 11,000 feet. 

 A species of Barbus with small scales is likewise common in the Bamean River" 2 (Cal. 

 Journ. Nat., Hist., ii. p. 565). 



He observes that Indian species were in the majority in the Cabul river (a tributary of 

 the Indus) at Peshawur ; and in accordance with the facility or the reverse of access from the 

 plains did he find a predominance of Indian or Afghan forms. 3 



The nature of the fishes of Afghanistan appears to be much as follows : Absence of 

 Acanthopterygian or spiny -rayed families, except the spineless and widely distributed Ophio- 

 cephalus gacJma, Ham. Buch., and the spiny eel, Mastacembelus armatus, Lacep., so common 

 in the East from the plains to the summits of mountains. Few Siluroids, but perhaps a 

 Callichorus and Amblyceps. Numerous Cyprinoids which appear to belong to the following 

 genera Oreinus, Schizothorax, Bungia, from near Herat, Barilim, and a Loach 

 (? Nemacheilus), perhaps Discognathus and Barbus. 



The fullest account we possess of the fishes of Western Turkestan is that lately given 

 by Kessler, from which I have extracted the following : 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. Perca fluviaUUs, Linn., obtained exclusively from the Jaxartes and 

 some of its tributaries. P. schrenckii, Kess., from Lake Balkash. Lucioperca sandra, Cuv., 

 from the Jaxartes. Coitus spinulosus, Kess., very rare in Turkestan, two specimens from 

 Khojend. 



None of these spiny-rayed fishes were captured at so south a latitude as Kashghar. Out 

 of the four species three came from the Jaxartes or its tributaries, the other from Lake Balkash. 



1 This remark appears to have beeft a little too strong, as he only found one species of Salmo ; probably it was very abundant. 



- The stuffed type presented to the British Museum from the Indian Museum seems to have been lost or destroyed. 



3 Griffith states that the Cabul Kiver at Jellalabad presents us with two or three small-scaled Barbi (? Schizothorax) and Oreini 

 together with certain tropical forms, as the Mahasir (Barbus) and a Silurus very like, if not identical with, the Poftah 

 (? Silurus afgana). Also the same river at Lalpur possesses a fish, I believe, identical with the Nepoora of Assam (Labeo) and 

 a Gonorhynchus (Discognathus) . Griffith also mentions a Loach -like Silurus from near Juhraiz (.' Amblyceps). 



