100 F. Day —Mo no graph of Indian Cyprinidce. [No. 2, 



sions could not be considered natural ones, whilst, if artificial, they 

 can never permanently stand. 



The last undivided dorsal ray is variously formed, from being 

 articulated to an osseous one which latter may be smooth or denti- 

 culated, but all these forms are sometimes found in a single genus, 

 as Barbies. The anal fin sometimes shows peculiarities as in 

 the Barbus apogon, 0. and V., where the undivided rays are 

 spin ate. 



Scales, simply as regards their size, unless conjoined to other 

 characteristics, cannot by themselves be taken as a reason for mak- 

 ing genera, because large, moderate, and small-sized scales are all 

 occasionally found represented in a single genus. But certain mo- 

 difications may exist, as in the mountain barbels, Oreinus and 

 Schizothorax, where a row of tiled scales enclose the vent and base of 

 the anal fin ; or portions of the body may be naturally left scale- 

 less. 



The lateral line has been employed as one of the signs for the 

 formation of groups, according to its position, as along the middle 

 of the side, or near the abdominal edge ; it is not here employed 

 for such a purpose, because its complete existence in some species 

 seems of but little importance : thus in the genera Barbies, or Bari- 

 lius, it may be present, or partially absent, sometimes ceasing after 

 proceeding along but very few rows of scales. 



As to the internal characters, the skeleton forms one of the most 

 important features, respecting which much still remains to be 

 investigated in the Indian carps, and the same remarks apply to 

 the internal organs. 



The pharyngeal teeth are in from one to three series, but these 

 numbers alone do not always suffice for the definition of even genera : 

 thus in the Chela- s some have them in two and others in three rows. 

 Even the form of those teeth is not invariably similar in all the spe- 

 cies of the same genus : thus in the Rohtee microlepis, Blyth, these 

 teeth have serrations on their edges and the two largest of the 

 anterior row are molarform, whereas crooked and pointed ones are 

 the rule in the genus. Likewise as the teeth are deciduous, being 

 constantly shed and replaced, they may become blunted with age, 

 although they had at first been sharp and pointed. 



