288 report— 1845. 



form of a long flat ellipsoidal arch, rounding off and descending considerably at the shoulder, 

 to meet the depressed and scarcely convex profile of the face. The chief spine of the dorsal 

 and also of the anal is strongly serrated posteriorly almost to the base. The barbels at the 

 angle of the mouth are about equal to the rictus in length, and those which spring from the 

 middle of the maxillary are not much shorter, in which respect the drawing differs from that of 

 nigro-auratus of Lacepede. Seventeen soft rays are shown in the dorsal and six in the anal, 

 the last one in both being divided to the base*. The discs of the scales have a shining bronze 

 colour, their bases a deep blackish-green. The head is mostly dark blackish-green with some 

 golden reflexions, and the operculum is marked with curved streaks descending from its upper 

 anterior corner. The pectoral and caudal are blackish-green, the dorsal dark hair-brown, and 

 the three under fins have ochraceous rays. The lateral line is slightly deflexed, equidistant 

 from back and belly, and is composed of about twenty-eight scales. 

 Hab. Canton. 



Cyprinus rubro-fuscus, Lacepede, v. p. 331. pi. 16. f. 1 ; C. et V. xvi.p. 74. 

 Icon. Reeves, 117; Hardw. Malac. 4. Chinese name, Tang le, " Pond 

 carp " (Reeves, Birch) ; Tong li (Bridgem. Chrest. 14). Length of figure 

 ll'l inch. 



It is with the doubt which pervades all such approximations that we refer Mr. Reeves's 

 drawing, above-quoted, to the species noticed by Lacepede. In general form it approaches that 

 of Reeves, 116 (atro-virens), but the outline of the back is rather less flat, and slopes mo- 

 derately each way to an apex at the beginning of the dorsal. The height is contained thrice 

 and one-sixth in the total length, of which the head makes a fourth. The rays shown by the 

 artist are D. 2|20 ; A. 2|5 ; the strong spines being deeply serrated, and the last soft rays di- 

 vided to the base. The dorsal commences over the tip of the pectorals and front of the ven- 

 trals, and terminates a little farther from the caudal than the anal does. The lateral line is 

 straight, and is composed of twenty-eight or thirty scales. The scales generally are brightly 

 silvery with olive-green bases, which deepen on the back to blackish-green, and fade lower 

 on the sides to apple-green and oil-green. There is a slight reddish blush on the shoulder, 

 and an ochraceous tint on the breast and lower parts of the head. The operculum is streaked 

 on its upper anterior half. The dorsal is pale ash-gray, with a row in the middle of darker 

 pearl-gray blotches between the rays. The ventrals and anal are also pale with bright red 

 tips, and the caudal is bordered at the end with red, the body of the fin being dark yellowish- 

 gray. The pectoral is blackish-gray. 



Hab. Canton. 



Cyprinus flammans, Richardson. Icon. Reeves, 118 ; Hardw. Malac. 6. 



Chinese name, Ho le, " Fire carp " (Reeves, Birch) ; Fo li (Bridgem. 



Chrest. 18). Length of drawing 10^ inches. 



This drawing represents a fish with the same profile as the preceding one (Reeves, 117), 

 the only differences being a trifling increase in the length of the head, and the dorsal com- 

 mencing a very little farther back. The barbels are the same, and both this and the two 

 preceding species have a conspicuous, elevated, scoop -shaped border to the posterior nasal 

 orifice. The rays shown in the figure are D. 2|18 or 19 ; A. 2|5. It is possible that this may 

 be merely the rubro-fuscus in its spawning dress. The lateral line is very slightly decurved, 

 and is traced on thirty-one scales. The operculum is striated almost to the edge. The bases 

 of the scales down to a row or two below the lateral line are duck-green, so defined as to pro- 

 duce rows of rectangular spots. The discs of the upper scales and the upper parts of the head 

 have bronze reflexions ; the lateral ones are silvery with a reddish blush, and the whole under 

 parts of the head and body are bright orpiment-orange, the colours being most intense on the 

 circumference of the scales. The ventrals and anal are also orange ; the pectorals and caudal 

 lake-red, and the dorsal pale chestnut-brown. 

 Hab. Canton. ^_ 



Cyprinus viridi-violaceus, Lacepede, v. p. 548. pi. 16. f. 3. Icon. Reeves, 

 157 ; Hardw. Malac. 5. Chinese name, Luh le, " Green carp" (Reeves, 

 Birch) ; Luk li (Bridgem. Chrest. 13). Bad. B. 3 ; D. 2|19 ; A. 2|5 ; C. 18|; 

 P. 14; V.9. (Reev. Spec.) 



Mr. Reeves has deposited two specimens in the British Museum, which we refer to his figure, 

 and also, though with less confidence, to Lacepede's viridi-violaceus. In profile it differs a 

 little from the preceding species, in the curve of the back passing insensibly into the tail, and 



* In most of the drawings the very short anterior spines of the dorsal and anal are omitted. 

 We enumerate only those which are shown by the artist. 



