204 
MALACOPTERYGII. — CYPRINID^. 
and roots and half- decayed leaves of sub -aquatic 
vegetation ; and even, as is asserted, (though pro- 
bably on insufficient evidence,) swallowing the 
ooze and sludge deposited at the bottom of ponds, 
for the sake of the organic matter contained in it. 
The typical genera are well furnished for the 
bruising and grinding down of tough vegetable 
tissues, possessing in the armed pharynx a power- 
ful instrument of mastication, which we shall 
presently describe more fully. The majority of 
species have thick fleshy lips, sometimes furnished 
with short cirri or tentacles, and a thick, soft 
appendage to the palate, well known by the erro- 
neous appellation of Carp’s tongue,” which being 
freely supplied with nerves of sensation, is doubt- 
less endowed with a delicate perception. 
Mr. Swainson sees an analogy between this 
Family and that of the Eels, which he instances 
in the following particulars : the possession of 
thick, fleshy flns ; the mucous slime with which 
their bodies are clothed ; the absence or paucity 
of proper teeth, and the vegetable nature of the 
diet. The resemblance, however, appears to us 
but slight, and counterbalanced by much more 
numerous and more important points of dissimi- 
larity : — while in one of the particulars enume- 
rated the analogy fails egregiously ; for the Eels 
are as indiscriminately voracious as the Carps are 
abstemious. 
This is the most numerous in species of all 
the Families of Fishes, containing, according to 
Prince Bonaparte’s late Conspectus, the im- 
mense number of seven hundred and twenty^ 
three. This, however, includes the Loaches of 
the Old and of the New World, of which that 
