A Notice of Indian Cyprinidce. 101 



kinds as before." "On the fishes of Bengal, Assam, and other 

 provinces subject to the inundations of the larger rivers, we can 

 exercise no control, nor is it desirable that we should, even were 

 it in our power, the supply of fish being plentiful and constant 

 enough ; but in the higher parts of the plains, near the foot of 

 the mountains, where the larger Cirrhins and Barbels retire du-^ 

 ring the dry season for the purpose of spawning, fisheries might 

 be carried on with advantage to a considerable extent." p. 461. 



As some species of the Indian fishes are found only in clear 

 and rapid streams, they would not probably thrive well, if at all, 

 in tanks where the water would be still. Should it be consid- 

 ered desirable to propagate to any extent such species, our author 

 suggests, that " the most suitable vivarium for such species might 

 be formed by stopping up a clear mountain stream to a certain 

 depth, and filling the irregularities of the bottom with sand, gravel 

 and stones ; there should be a current in the water, and to prevent 

 the escape of the fish, a grating should be fixed below ; at the 

 opposite end a stronger grating, if necessary, to prevent the intro- 

 duction of rubbish during floods, as well as the escape of the 

 fish, should the fall not be sufficient for the latter purpose." p. 

 347. Occasional remarks are found relating to the altitude at 

 which fishes are known to live in India. Speaking of the Orei- 

 nns guttatus, Dr. M'Clelland observes, it is found " in rivers in 

 different parts of Boutan, between the elevation of two and five 

 thousand feet. It may occur higher, but Mr. Griffith remarks, 

 that in valleys above five thousand feet, though fine, clear streams 

 are common, yet fishes of any kind do not occur in them, and 

 the natives assured the mission to which he was attached, that 

 no fish existed at such elevations." p. 345. The Gonorhynchus 

 petrophilus " inhabits streams in Kemaon at an elevation of six 

 thousand feet above the sea, and has been observed by Lieut. 

 Hutton at similar elevations in the mountains north of Simla, as 

 well as by Dr. Campbell in Nipal." p. 371. 



And again, "whether any other kind of fishes may yet be 

 found in still higher altitudes than those at which the Gono- 

 rhynchs and Mountain Barbels disappear, is a problem in the dis- 

 tribution of this class of animals, that travellers in the Himalaya 

 and other lofty regions must decide. In the limpid streams which 

 Mr. Griffith passed with Capt. Pemberton, at elevations of from 

 six to eight thousand feet in Boutan, no inhabitants were found ; 



