282 F. Day — Monograph of Indian Cyprinidce. [No. 3, 



Lateral Hue — complete to the centre of the base of the caudal fin. 



Colours. Greyish above, more silvery below. Fins dark coloured, 

 sometimes black. The colouration varies with the season and 

 locality. 



Grows to six feet in length ; is much esteemed as food when up 

 to two feet long, but when larger becomes coarse. " There is no 

 species" observes McClelland "of more importance than this in 

 an economic point of view. Buchanan informs us, it is light and 

 wholesome food ; the head he remarks is peculiarly delicious : 

 this I can also answer for, and am at a loss to know why it should 

 have been so long overlooked by our epicures." 



Hal. Hindustan and the Punjab, extending westwards to the 

 Kistna and eastwards to the Pegu river. 



It resides in brackish or fresh water, and is found within tidal 

 influence, " but it lives and attains a great size in tanks and ponds 

 quite unconnected with tides and currents, so that it is capable of 

 being introduced wherever there is fresh water." (McClelland.) 

 " It is a very strong active animal and often leaps over the seine of 

 the fishermen, on which account when fishing for the Catla, they 

 usually follow the net in canoes, and make a noise by shouting 

 and splashing with their paddles." (Ham. Buchanan.) It is said 

 never to take a bait, but as it rises at natural flies, it could pro- 

 bably be taken with artificial ones. 



At Coconada exists a moderately sized tank of fresh water fed 

 from the irrigation canal ; this had not been netted for three years ; 

 at one haul 27 large fishes of this species were captured varying 

 in size from 5 to 9 lb. each, and these were irrespective of a very 

 large quantity of smaller fishes and younger ones of this sort. 

 There is perhaps no carp more adapted for introducing into the 

 Cauvery, as it could easily be sent from Masulipatam by steamer 

 to Madras and from thence by rail to the railway station on the 

 Madras side of Trichinopoly, and there turned direct into the 

 Cauvery river. It is largely employed for stocking tanks, as at 

 two years old it grows to about 1 lb. in weight. 



