Cyprinus. gangetic fishes. 293 



The form is like the head of a lance, compressed at the sides, 

 and rather more prominent on the back than below. Above it 

 is of a dark green colour with a gloss of silver ; below the colour 

 is entirely silver, and on the sides are several longitudinal lines 

 composed of black dots. The fins are darkish, and all of them 

 dotted with black. The eyes are silver with a tinge of green. 



The head is oval, small, and blunt. The nose projects a little 

 beyond the mouth, and is marked by some large hollow dots. 

 The mouth is small. The jaws protrude in opening. The lips 

 are fleshy, pendulous, and indented, or fringed, on the edges : 

 the upper one has no bones. The tendrils, which are very 

 short, proceed from the corners of the lips. The nostrils are 

 nearly in the middle between the eyes and jaw. The eyes are 

 high, of moderate size, and have the longest diameter of their 

 pupils vertical. The gill-covers are rounded behind, and edged 

 with a broad membrane: they do not conceal their proper 

 membranes, the rays in which are flat. 



The scales are roughish, and of a moderate size. Above each 

 ventral fin is a scale-like appendant covered with small scales. 

 The lateral lines are ill defined, and descend with a curve along 

 the middle of the sides. The vent is behind the middle. 



The dorsal fin occupies the middle of the fish, and slopes 

 backward with a concave edge, ending very sharp behind. The 

 two first of its rays are undivided and conjoined, the first being 

 a half shorter than the second, which is smooth ; the others are 

 branched. The pectoral fins are low, much smaller than the 

 head, and sharp above : and each contains about seventeen rays. 

 The ventral fins are large, but do not reach to the vent : and 

 each has nine rays. The fin behind the vent is before the mid- 

 dle of the tail, and slopes backward. The two first of its rays 

 are strong smooth undivided bones, closely joined to each other, 

 the second being twice as long as the first ; the others are branch- 



