PHARYNGEAL TEETH OF FISHES. 209 
CIRRHINA MIRGALA. An Indian fish. 
Has numerous short, horny gill-rakers on the first branchial 
arck ; there are some fifty-six on its hypo-cerato portion, and 
twelve on the epi-portion. The longest is only about one-sixth 
of the depth of the gill lamina below it. Similar gill-rakers are 
on the inside of the first branchial arch and both sides of the 
other arches. The upper surfaces of the arches themselves are 
flattened, and the membrane over them is much corrugated. 
The mucous membrane at the top of the mouth is covered with 
papille. The pharyngeal teeth bite against a thin cartilage that 
is striated, and that covers the lower part of the basi-occipital 
bone, where it widens out into a broad surface to afford a base 
for this cartilage. This base protrudes backward, but is widened 
out horizontally into a broad leaf-shaped mass, thus materially 
differing from the similar prolongation in a Carp (Cyprinus 
carpio), for instance, where the projection takes a vertical form. 
The pharyngeal teeth are in three rows, 5-4-2 and 2-4-5; they 
grow upon stalks, and widen out at their tops, providing a flat 
chewing surface. Five spare teeth were found in the mucous 
membrane, and two clinging to the base of the teeth. The 
pharyngeal bones are not channelled and stiffened with bony 
diaphragms, asin so many of the other Cyprinine (see illustration 
of Carp), but are solid and made lighter by a large triangular 
Opening in the bone, where it is widened out to afford a seat for 
the teeth, which are supported on a base of honeycombed bone 
stretching across the open triangular space. These pharyngeal 
bones, the fifth branchial arch, are fairly straight up and down 
in this fish, and have not that concave set as seen from the front, 
as is the case with many others of the Cyprinine subfamily. 
