200 =. SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [voL. 48 
The palate, as Smitt explains, is lined with a mucous membrane, 
thickly covered with papillae and arranged in longitudinal folds, 
“which is continued backwards, smooth but with large gustatory 
papillz, on the tumid, soft, cushion-like mass of muscles and fat—_ 
the carp’s tongue so highly prized by the epicure—situated under 
the posterior part of the cranium. Backwards and downwards 
from the body of the occipital bone runs an osseous (pharyngeal) 
process, pierced at its base for the passage of a blood vessel (aorta 
abdominalis), the under surface of which process, just at the end 
of the said cushion, is shod in a depression with a cartilaginous, 
more or less hard and tumid disk, the so-called carp-stone or 
pharyngeal cartilage,’ by the Germans called Karpfenstein, by the 
French Ja meule. This carp-stone is characteristic and its modi- 
fications serve to indicate the affinities of genera; for example, in 
the carps, gudgeons and tench, it is triangulate and very hard with 
a yellowish-brown surface; in the barbels it is also triangulate but 
semi-cartilaginous, thus differing from that of the Cyprinines and 
more like that of the other European forms; in the chubs, daces and 
breams it is somewhat pentagonal or oval, comparatively soft and 
elastic, and has a whitish surface. The carp-stone has been en- 
tirely neglected by American naturalists, but its characteristics have 
been more or less used by some European ichthyologists, and espe- 
cially by Fatio, for the distinction of genera of the old world. The 
illustrations given by Fatio are in a plate accompanying this contribu- 
tion. They will serve as a basis for comparison of American types. 
The ingesta, or at least some of them, appear to be soon reduced ; 
“as a rule food passes rapidly through the intestinal canal; a gold- 
fish fed with wheat-bread passes after some minutes a white vermi- 
form mass of excrement, which hangs from the vent.” 
The diet is in accordance with the nature of the pharyngeal teeth; 
fishes with hooked and pointed teeth and shortened intestines being 
carnivorous, while those with molar teeth and extended intestines 
are more or less herbivorous. 
DISTRIBUTION 
Somewhere over a thousand species of this family are known. 
Asia, and especially India, harbors the greatest number; Africa is 
less rich, Characinids to some extent taking their place. North 
America, with about two hundred and fifty species, is on a par 
with India. None are found in South America, where their place 
is entirely taken by the Characinids; Australia also has none. 
Two species have been domesticated and extensively introduced 
