1839.] Indian Cyprinidce. 657 



" Cyprinidce, of all fishes of equal importance are those that appear 

 to have occupied least, the attention of naturalists; a circumstance the 

 more curious, as in consequence of their being peculiar to fresh waters, 

 they are more universally distributed in the interior of continents, 

 where they ought to be more familiar and useful to man than any other 

 family of the same class. 



"Regarding their distribution, little has hitherto been made known. 

 It would not appear that there is any one species common to Europe 

 and America ; it is not however to be supposed that we are yet prepar- 

 ed to form an accurate comparison between the Cyprinidce of the old 

 and new worlds, since the majority of species in either seems as yet to 

 be but ill defined. Nor is it to be supposed that ichthyology has yet 

 been prosecuted in America to an extent at all likely to make us ac- 

 quainted with the numerous species that must inhabit the extensive 

 lakes and rivers of that continent. Of African species few only are re- 

 ferred to by Cuvier, while the Nile is known to present some species 

 that are not found in the south of Europe. The Chinese species may 

 yet be said to be almost unknown, with the exception of a few deter- 

 mined by Cuvier from the very doubtful data afforded by paintings ; 

 although it is seldom that so favourable an opportunity is afforded for 

 collecting information on any branch of natural history, as that which 

 the British embassies in China possessed, for investigating the peculia- 

 rities of the fresh-water fishes of that empire, from the length of time 

 they passed in boats on some of the principal rivers. Nor is any thing 

 whatever known, as far as I am aware, of the existence of Cyprins 

 in New Holland or any of the Polynesian Islands. In India the fishes 

 of several of the great rivers yet remain to be investigated, as those of 

 the Irrawaddi, the Indus, and the Nerbudda. A collection of drawings 

 of the fishes of the Indus, prepared during a scientific mission under 

 Capt. Burnes, has recently been deposited in the museum of the Asia- 

 tic Society ; and Mr. Griffith, to whom every branch of science is as 

 dear as the one in which he is fast rising to the highest station, is now 

 engaged in making extensive collections of, and observations on, the 

 fishes of the same river. The museums of Paris must already be well 

 stored with Indian species collected by Messrs. Duvaucel, Jaquemont, 

 and De-Lessert, but I doubt if any of our British museums contain 

 many of the commonest species of the Ganges. 



" Natural history is now assuming a station so important in the highest 

 scale of intellectual pursuits, that any remarks at all calculated to 

 impress on the minds of those who are connected with missions into 



