660 Indian Cyprinidce. [August, 



yet been found in this country, where the blank appears to be filled up 

 by the excessive development of the Cyprinidce. 



" One species of Tench,* four Leuciscs,f and one Gudgeon,! are enu- 

 merated among the fossils of (Eningen by M. Agassiz, who also des- 

 cribes two new genera || Rhodeus and Aphis, nearly allied to, but dis- 

 tinct from the Perilamps and Systoms. They are distinct from the 

 first, by the dorsal and ventral margins being equally arched, and the 

 caudal and anal fins being less developed ; and from the second, by the 

 absence of spines in either of the latter fins ; both belong however to 

 Sarcoborince, and will serve to render that group far more complete 

 than it appeared to me to be before I saw M. Agassiz's splendid work. 

 Two fossil species of Cobitince are also found in the same locality, one 

 of these, C. cephalotus Agass. belongs to Schistura. The marlstone in 

 which these remains are found is justly considered by M. Agassiz to be 

 a lacustrine deposit, and supposed to be coeval with the molasse of 

 Switzerland and the sand stone of Fontainbleau, and consequently to 

 correspond with the miocene or early tertiory period." Op. cit p. 257 

 —262. 



As a specimen of the manner in which the subject is treated we shall 

 here give from the synopsis of his paper one of the three sub-families in- 

 to which Mr. M' Clelland has separated the Cyprins; on a future occa- 

 sion we may quote the two remaining sub-families, from the same part 

 of the work. p. 264—283. 



« I. Sub-Fam— P.£ONOMI]SLE.§ J. M. 



" Char. Mouth slightly cleft, either horizontal or directed more or 

 less downward. The stomach is a lengthened tube continuous with a 

 long intestinal canal. Colours plain. Three rays in the branchial mem- 

 brane. 



" Obs. They occur only in fresh- water, and comprise a large propor- 

 tion of the fishes of lakes and rivers, more especially those that are of 

 economical importance. Their food consists chiefly of confervoid 

 plants and other productions of the vegetable kingdom. 



* Tinea leptosoma, Agass. Recherches sur les Poissons Fossiles, vol. v. t. 51. 



f Leuciscus papyraceus, Agass. V. t. 36. P. leptus, Agass. V. t. 57. L. pusillus, 

 id. 1. c. L. ceningensis, id. and L. heterurus, id. 1. c. 



X Gobio analis, Agass. t. 57. 



|| Rhodeus elongatus, Agass. t. 54. and R. latior, id. 1. c. Of the genus Apius, M. 

 Agassiz describes A. gracilis, and A. brongiarti, V. t. 55. ; but the latter as well as 

 Leuciscus papyraceus are from the lignites of Menat. 



§ From Poionomos, that feeds on herbs. 



