800 MR. F. DAY ON THE FISHES OF YARKAND. [Dec. 5, 



Thus we have :— eight species from the head-waters of the Indus, 

 two of which extend to the Great Easterly or Yarkand river of Eastern 

 Turkestan, and one to the Oxus of Western Turkestan ; nine species 

 from the Yarkand river, two common to the Indus and three to the 

 Oxus ; four species from the Oxus, three of which are also found in 

 the Yarkand river, and one in the head- waters of the Indus. 



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 charac- 

 teristics 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 pro- 

 ceeding 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 seem to take the precedence of the 

 Ci/prinidce. 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 1 1,000 feet. A species of Bar bus with small scales is like- 

 wise common in the Bamean river" (Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. ii. 

 p. 5 Go). 



He observes tbat 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 *. 



The nature of the fishes of Afghanistan appears to be much as 

 follows : — Absence of Acantbopterygian or spiny-rayed families, 

 except the spineless and widely distributed Ophiocephalus gachua, 

 Ham. Buch., and the spined eel, Mastacembelus armatus, Lacep., so 

 common in the East from the plains to the summits of mountains. 

 Few Siluroids, but perhaps a CuUichrous and Anibhjceps. Numerous 

 Cyprinoids which appear to belong to the following genera — Orei- 



* Griffith states that the Cabul river 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 iden- 

 tical with, the Poftah (CaUichrotis). Also the same river at Lalpore possesses a 

 fish, I believe, identical with the Nepoora of Assam (Labco), and a Gonorrhyn- 

 chus {=Diseognathus). Griffith also mentions a Loach-like Si/urea from near 

 Jubraiz (? Amblyceps), 



