1876.] MR. F. DAY ON THE FISHES OF YARKAND. 793 



14. ClRRHINA GOHAMA. 



Cyprinus gohama, Ham. Buch. Fish. Gauges, pp. 346, 393. 

 Barbus diplochilus, Heckel, Fisch. Kasch. p. 53, t. 10. f. I. 

 Tylognathus barbatulus, Heckel, Hiigel's Reise, iv. p. 376. 

 Gonorhynchus brevis, M'Clell. Ind. Cypr. p. 373, t. 43. f. 6. 

 Crossocheilus gohama, Bleeker, Prod. Cypr. p. 110; Giinther, 

 Cat. vii. p. 72. 



Crossocheilus rostralus, Giinther, /. c 

 Crossocheilus barbatulus, Giinther, /. c. 



B. iv., D. ^, P. 15, V. 9, A. I C. 19, L. 1. 38-40. 



There are several specimens of this fish from the lake in Cash- 

 mere ; and, curiously enough, they show the links between H. B. 

 and Heckel's species. All have a pair of rostral barbels and 

 minute mandibular ones (C barbatula). Some have r>l, some 4^ 

 rows between the lateral line and base of first dorsal ray. Others 

 possess 3, 3|, and 4| rows between the lateral line and base of ven- 

 tral fin. The proportions likewise vary with age and other causes. 



The localities this fish inhabits, and its mode of frequenting stones, 

 very much resemble those of Discoynathus lamta, H.B., whilst its 

 jaws are wide (not deep) ; and its under surface is similarly flattened, 

 but it has no labial sucker. 



Before describing the Loaches, I will give my reasons why it ap- 

 pears to me that genus Dijilojihysa, Kessler, may probably be a 

 synonym of Nemacheilus. 



It is said to consist of " elongated fishes, strongly compressed pos- 

 teriorly," which we perceive in Nemacheilus stoliczkce and N. yar- 

 Tcandensis ; but in an equally elongated species, N. tenuis, the free 

 portion of the tail is not compressed, but as wide as deep. 



"The eyes are surrounded with a fold of skin forming a lid." 

 This is also perceived in specimens amongst the species I have enu- 

 merated from Yarkand ; and I have likewise noted that some of the 

 other fishes from the same cold region have folds of skin more or 

 less covering the eyes. 



" Lips fleshy, the upper more or less denticulated, the inferior 

 bilobed, and more or less papillated." I have figured the inferior 

 surface of the head of all the Loaches ; and although some, as 

 N. stoliczlcce and N. tenuis, have the lips as described by Kessler, 

 the N. yarkandensis has not, whilst the three certainly cannot be 

 separated into distinct genera. 



" Air-vessel in two parts, the anterior enclosed in a bony capsule, 

 the posterior elongated and free in the abdominal cavity." This is 

 the only portion of Kessler's definition not perceived in my fish ; 

 the air-vessel in all is enclosed in bone ; and I cannot resist suggesting 

 a reexamination of Western Turkestan specimens. It would be very 

 remarkable were the Nemacheili found in Europe, in fact throughout 

 Asia, even in the Oxus, to have their air-vessels enclosed in bone, 

 whereas in the river Hi going to Lake Balkash, and the river 

 Urdjar falling into Lake Ala (Ala kul), they have the same organ 



