FAMILY, V— CTPRINID^. 599 



tte abdominal edge cutting from below the pectoral to the anal fin. Teeth — pharyngeal, 5, 4, 1/1, 4, 5. Fins — 

 dorsal arises midway between the hind edge of the orbit and the posterior extremity of the caudal fin, and 

 slightly behind the origin of the anal. Pectoral reaching anal. Caudal deeply forked. Lateral-lime — curved 

 downwards, S\ rows of scales between it and the base of the ventral fin. Colours — silvery, with some golden 

 vertical stripes during life. Fine dots over the body, and a black mark, shot with green, above the base of the 

 pectoral fin, and another at the base of the caudal : the last third of the lobes of the caudal fin in some, 

 especially Burmese specimens, are tipped with black. The black spot on the side of the tail is absent in some 

 examples. 



Habitat. — Ganjam, Orissa, Bengal, Central India, Assam and Burma ; attaining at least 3^ inches in length. 

 The example figured was from Burma. 



3. Perilampas Ceylonensis. 



Bustira Ceylonensis, Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 331. 



B. iii, D. 12 (tV), P. 17, V. 7, A. 17(^), C. 19, L. 1. 36, L. tr. 7i/2. 



Length of head 4, of caudal 4, height of body 4 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/3 of length 

 of head, 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout. Posterior extremity of maxilla extends to below the anterior 

 margin of the orbit : lower jaw the longer. Fins — origin of dorsal opposite commencement of anal. Pectoral 

 reaching the ventral. Colov/rs — uniform silvery. 



Habitat. — Ceylon. The specimens in the British Museum are nearly 2 inches in length. 



Genus, 27 — Chela,* Ham. Buchanan. 



Oxygaster, v. Hass. ; Lettdscus, sp. Cuv. and Val. : Salmophasia, Swainson ; Macrochi/riehthys and 

 Pa/ralcmbuca, Bleeker. 



Body rather elongate and compressed : abdominal edge cyMing, Pseudobranchice present. Mouth directed 

 somewhat upwa/rds, with the lower jaw prominent, and generally with a hnoh above the symphysis. Barbels absent. 

 Pharyngeal teeth hoohed and slender, in two or three rows. Dorsal fin short, without any osseous ray, situated 

 principally or entirely opposite the a/nal, which latter has an elongated base. Pectorals long. Caudal forked. 

 Scales of moderate or small size. Lateral-line concave. 



Dr. Giinther suggests the following sub-genera : 



a. The trenchant thoracic edge anterior to the pectoral supported by the dilated bones of the forearm. — 



OXTGASTEE. 



a. Pharyngeal teeth in three rows. Oxygaster. 



ji. „ „ two ,, Maaroahirichthys. 



b. The thoracic edge not supported by the dilated bone of the forearm. Secv/ricula. 



Geographical distribution. — Sind, Continent of India, Burma, and extending to the Malay Archipelago. 



Generally termed Vellache-candee in Tamil : Bay-ree-saie and Baarsee, Tel. : Bounce-putti, Ooriah : Took, 

 Punjab. 



It appears that several individual variations occur amongst the species belonging to this genus, not only 

 in the number of anal rays, but also in the number of scales, as well as in that of the rows between the dorsal 

 fin and the lateral-line. Irrespective of this the comparative width of the suborbital ring of bones to that 

 of the uncovered portion of the cheek is liable to vary in examples of the same species. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



A. — Bones of foreamn swpport the edge of thorax, (Oxygaster) . 



.1. Chela gora, D. 9-10, A. 16-16, L. 1. 140-160, L. tr. 18-20/18. Sind, Continent of India except its 

 southern portion. 



B. — Bones of forearm do not support the edge of thorax, (Seouricula) . 



2. Chela Sladord, D. 10, A. 20-21, L. 1. 65-68, L. tr. 10/8. Irrawaddi river. 



* Descriptions have been published by Hamilton Buchauan and Sykes, of some small fishes belonging to this genus, also to 

 BoriWiis. As I am unable to recognize them with certainty, I place them in this note :— , tji i -a 



1. Gyprmus hoaUus, Ham. Buch. " Fish. Ganges," pp. 336, 392 ; Cut. and Val. XTi,p.442. Leucisms hooMus, Bleeker, Beng. 

 p. 68. D. 9, V. 9, A. 10. Much compressed. Green above, silvery below. Northern Bengal to S inches in length. 



2. Cyprirms iorelio. Ham. Buch. 1. u. pp. 336, 392 ; Cut. and Val. xTi, p. 443. Leuciscus boreto, Bleeker, Beng. p. 66. 

 D. 9, V. 8, A. 11, C. 18. Long and compressed. SiWery aboTC tinged with green: deep yellow, below. Eyes silTery. trangetic 

 Provinces, to 4 inches. This may belong to genus BwriUus, and be the young of B. bendeUsis. T^ n -^r o a 1 1 rv i 



3. Cyprirms soldo, H. Buch. 1. c. ; Cut. and Val. xvi, p. 444. Leumscus soldo, Bleeker, Beng. p. 68. U. 9, V. 8, A. II. Unly 

 differs from last in colour of belly. Kosi river. This and the last are probably the same. - t j i\t j t t 



4. Chela jorah, Sykes, "Transactions, Zool. Soc." ii, p. 361. Leuciscus jorah, Bleeker, Beng. p. 68 ; J erdon, Madras J . L.. 

 and Sc. 1849, p. 323. D. 10, P. 12, V. 8, A. 11, C. 18. Compressed fish. Back dark, with purpUsh shade, sides and abdomen silvery. 

 Beema river, near Pairgaon in the Deccan. „„. r.in-DinTT-'rAin 



6. Chela aXkootee, Sykes, 1. c. p. 362. Leuciscus alkootee, Bleeker, Beng. p. 66 ; Jerdon, 1. c. p. 324. 1). 10, f. 10, V. 7, A. lu. 

 Sides slightly compressed, back and belly rounded (?) ; back straight. Scales very minute. Lateral-lme quite straight {/). bilvery, 

 with a black circle round the eye. Deccan, to 1 inch in length. 



