298 report — 1845. 



part of the upper lip. It is semi-lanceolate with a straight fore-edge. The lateral line de- 

 scends a little at its commencement, and when opposite to the acute tip of the pectoral, takes 

 a straight course along the middle of the height to the tail. It is traced on thirty-six scales, 

 and there are nine rows of scales in the height of the body, of which five are above the lateral 

 line. The dorsal commences a little before the middle of the length, caudal excluded, and 

 its height, which is equal to two-thirds of the height of the body, measures almost twice the 

 length of its base. The last ray being comparatively longer and the corners of the fin rounded, 

 it has not the triangular form of the dorsal of many of the other Leucisci. The front of 

 the ventrals is under the middle of the dorsal, and the anal is midway between them and the 

 caudal. 



The large discs of the scales, down to a row beneath the lateral line, have an uniform oil- 

 green tint with much lustre, and are surrounded by a defined border of deep duck -green, pro- 

 ducing hexagonal reticulations. Lower down, the discs of the scales are silvery, and the 

 meshes that enclose them pass into ochre- and cream-yellows. The base of the pectoral and 

 scales before that fin have a reef-lilac tint, and the head corresponds in colour with the body, 

 being green above and ochraceous or cream-coloured below. There is a little blue around 

 the eye and on the upper corner of the operculum. The pectorals are green, with a brownish 

 gloss ; the ventrals buff-coloured, and the other fins dark greenish-gray, the rays of the caudal 

 being dark green. In the figure belonging to the collection in the Banksian library quoted 

 by M. Valenciennes, the bases of the scales are darker than the borders, but the drawings are 

 otherwise so much alike as to occasion little doubt of their being representatives of the same 

 species. 



Hab. Canton. 



Leuciscus piceus, Richardson. Icon. Reeves, 153; Hardw. Malac. 24. 

 Chinese name, Hih hwan> "Black hwan fish" (Birch); Hih wan, "Black 



" (Reeves); Hah wan (Bridgem. Chrest. 233). Length of the 



figure \5\ inches. Height of body 3 inches. Length of head 3| inches. 



This fish is elongated like idella, but is rather less symmetrical, has even a thicker tail, 

 more obtusely-forked caudal, and more unevenness in the profile of the head and shoulders. 

 The mouth is similarly formed, the eye in the same position, and the fins similar in place and 

 form. The scales are smaller but appear to be equally strong, and the lateral line as distinctly 

 marked by an elevated straight tube on each scale. It runs very nearly straight, or with a 

 slight general decurvature along the middle of the fish. The fins are taller than those of 

 jesella, the dorsal being equal in height to the body, and the anal not very much lower. All 

 the fins are obtuse. The operculum and supra-scapulars are furrowed. 



General colour pitchy or blackish-brown, deepest on the back, and gradually changing on 

 the belly to bluish-gray. The scales are not enclosed in a dark mesh-work like those of 

 jesella, but are darkest on the fore-edge, and grow gradually paler towards their bases. Head 

 blackish-gray above, beneath white. There is a greenish tint on the breast and a tinge of 

 crimson along the edge of the belly. All the fins are blackish-gray, deepening to black to- 

 wards the edges, and their rays are whitish at the base. There are forty-three scales on the 

 lateral line, and ten or eleven rows in height. The rays shown are D. 9 ; A. 10, &c. 



Hab. Canton. 



Leuciscus coreensis, C. et V. xvii. p. 355. 



Hab. Japan. Corea. 



Leuciscus jesella, C. et V. xvii. p. 360. 



Hab. Canton. 



Leuciscus xanthurus, Richardson. Icon. Reeves, 112; Hardw. Malac. 25. 

 Chinese name, Hwang we ling, " Yellow-tailed carp " (Birch) ; Hwang 

 ne ling (Reeves) ; Wong mi ling (Bridgem. Chrest. 30). Length of figure 

 11 inches. Height of body nearly 3 inches. Length of head 1*8 inch. 

 Genus Aspius ?, Agassiz. > 



This figure represents a fish with an elevated back rising to a point at the beginning of the 

 dorsal. The anterior slope is varied by a moderate gibbosity of the nape, but the posterior 

 one runs in a perfectly straight, obliquely-descending line to the caudal fin. Belly most pro- 

 minent under the middle of the pectorals, sloping suddenly up to the throat and very gradually 

 to the caudal. Head small. Eye large and low in the cheek. Snout full and apparently 

 fleshy, projecting beyond the lower jaw, which shuts up beneath it. Pectorals small, acute. 

 The dorsal commences in the middle of the distance between the top of the snout and base of 

 the caudal, and its second ray is represented as stout, round, and acute, like that of a Rhodcus, 

 the third one being also simple, but more slender and shorter. D. 3|6, last divided to base; 



