VOL. X.XIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 413 



They are not deemed a palatable food, being very soft, and full of small bones. 

 They weigh from one-half to 24 pounds. 



The above is literally what Mr. Graham says of this fish, and all that is known 

 of its natural history. Examining it carefully, Mr. F. found it was a new species 

 of the genus of cyprinus, or carp. The head is broader than the body, gradu- 

 ally decreasing towards the nose, full of elevations and tubercles, nearly quadran- 

 gular, and not scaly. The mouth is quite under the head, as in the loricariae, 

 when shut, semilunar; when open, round; not far from the extremity of the 

 snout, and included in small round lips. To the under lip is fixed a bilobated, 

 beard-like, papillose caruncula; it has no teeth. The eyes are large, but the 

 colour of the iris could not be determined. The number of the branchiostegous 

 rays is 3. The body is flat, tapering towards the tail, and scaly. The greater 

 specimen measures very near 15 inches from the nose to the extremity of the 

 tail; next to the head it is nearly 2 inches thick, about the dorsal fin \^ inch; its 

 greatest depth before the ventral fins is If inches. On the snout are about 5 

 round prominent tubercles; 2 nostrils are found on each side, the largest next 

 before the eye is kidney-shaped. The covers of the gills are double, and divided; 

 the head has several sutures; over each eye, in a cavity, are 2 longitudinal ones, 

 joined opposite the nostrils by a still shorter transverse one; on the covers of the 

 gills are 2, on each side 1, beginning near the lobes of the caruncula of the 

 under lip, and going up arched towards the eye. Near the extremity of the 

 snout begins on each side a longitudinal one ; it passes under the eye, and 

 mounts in a curvature behind it; then it goes on straight to the end of the head, 

 where it again gets downwards, and joins the lateral line. Where the head 

 joins to the body, these two sutures are connected by a transversal one, which, 

 as it were, separates the head from the body. The lateral line at first descends 

 from the head, but then runs on straight, rather nearer the back than the body, 

 to the beginning of the tail. The scales are small near the head and back, in- 

 creasing in size towards the middle and tail, close to which they are again smaller. 

 The dorsal fin is placed somewhat behind the equilibrium of the fish, rhomboidal, 

 and consisting of 12 strong branched rays. The pectoral fins are lanceolated, 

 fixed under the covers of the gills, and have 17 rays. The ventral fins have 10 

 or 11 rays, and are placed in the middle of the belly, and under the dorsal fin. 

 The anal fin consists of 8 branched strong rays. The tail is somewhat forked 

 or concave, and consists of 17 rays.* 



* Dr. Forster's English description of this fish (Cyprinus catostomvs,) being very complete^ of course 

 renders the Latin one unnecessary, which is therefore omitted. 



