116 



Indian Cyprinidcc. 



Another striking distinction between the individuals of these two 

 sub-families, is pointed out to us in their colors. " The whole of the 

 sub-family Pceonominae are remarkable for their uniformly plain colors, 

 consisting of olive green, bluish gray, or brown, extended along 

 the back, and softened olF on the sides, so as to leave the lower sur- 

 face of the body an impure white, partaking more or less of the 

 colors of the back." *' Of the species, not one possesses a brilliant 

 spot of any pure color." But as we leave the herbivorous group 

 and enter the carnivorous, we find numerous bright, dark spots, 

 and the opercula and fins to be stained with yellow and red, in deep 

 and natural tints ; and the more carnivorous the genera, the more 

 remarkable is the brilliancy of their colors. 



The third sub-family, is called Apalopterina, from airaXogy soft, 



and TTispov, a fin or wing. It " consists of those genera, the spe- 

 cies of which have either elongated cylindric bodies or flat heads, as 

 the Loaches and PcecilicR, They are without spinous rays in any of 

 the fins, the intestine is short, and enveloped in a copious mucous 

 secretion ; three to six rays in the branchial membrane." There are 

 four genera. 



The first genus of this sub-family is called Platycara from plains, 

 broad, and kara, head. Its characters are *' head flat, with the eyes 

 placed on the upper surface, fins thick and opaque, pectorals large, 

 anal small, caudal bifid, mouth v^ithout teeth and placed on the lower 

 surface of the head, three rays in the branchial membrane. Obs. 

 The stomach and intestine form a continuous fleshy tube, not much 

 exceeding the length of the body ; they are found in elevated moun- 

 tain streams." 



The second genus is Psilorhynchus, from psilo, thin or attenuated, 

 and rynchus, a snout or beak. It is distinguished by *' muzzle elon- 

 gated and flattened, eyes placed on the edges of the head, mouth 

 small and suctorial without cirri, opercula small, caudal bifid, dorsal 

 opposite to the ventrals." 



The third genus Poecilia, includes the genera Pcecilia, Lehias 

 Fundulus, Molinesia, and Cyprinodon, contained in the " Regne Ani- 

 mal." A single subgenus is formed from this genus, which is called 

 Aplocheilus, from AirXog, simple or single, and xeiXog^ the lip, and 



