386 DR. A. GtJNTHEE ON THE 



series of scales between the lateral line and ventral fin ; pharyn- 

 geal teeth 5 I 3 I 1. Sides of the body, dorsal and caudal fins 

 speckled with greyish. 



Three small specimens were obtained in the Zola Chai at Ula, 

 and a larger one in Tergawar, in the upper waters of the Nazlu 

 Chai. The latter is 153 millim. long, and presumably young. It 

 shows some larger scales on each side of the vent, and therefore 

 the question arises whether our fishes are the young stage of a 

 species of Schizothoraoc. I have no materials which would assist 

 me in ascertaining whether the peculiar anal bheath of Schizo- 

 tliorax is developed with age. The two genera, Barius and 

 Schizotliorax, are so closely allied that in all probability species 

 exist io which the initial stages of the development of an anal 

 sheath may be traced either as a distinctive specific character or 

 as an individual, more or less abnormal condition. 



The determination of these Persian specimens as JBarbus cau- 



casicus is not by any means satisfactory. I should not have 



recognized them from Kessler's description, who gives as scale- 



11-12 

 formula 60, oq ' 65, indicating a fish with scales considerably 



larger; but the JSTatural History Museum has received from 

 E.ussian sources, two larger specimens named B. caucasiciis. 

 These specimens approax-h the Persian closely enough to be 

 referred to the same species. That collection possesses also 

 specimens of Barhus ciscaucasicus and Barhns goTctschaicus, two 

 other species described by Kessler in the work quoted. These 

 also are most closely allied to B. caucasicus, but B. goTctscTiaicus 

 has the dorsal spine extremely feeble. I have finally to add that 

 neither of the two specimens of B. caucasicus in the Natural 

 History Museum has enlarged anal scales, and that iu one of 

 them the anal fin reaches to the caudal, when laid backwai-ds. 



Our fishes differ from Barhus miliaris (de Filippi, Viaggio, 

 p. 358), from Teheran, in having only 13 or 14 series of scales 

 between the dorsal fin and lateral line, the Teheran species 

 having 18. 



GrOBio PERSA, sp. n. (PI. 23. fig. B.) 



D. 10. A. 8. L. lat. 43. L. transv. 6/9. 



The height of the body is contained 5| times in the tofal length 

 (without caudal), the length of the head 4 times ; caudal peduncle 

 slender, but slightly compressed, its greatest depth being two 

 fifths of its length. Snout not greatly elongate, the diameter of 



