ACANTHOPTERYGII. 167 



round and covered with strong scales, their head broad, muzzle 

 short and obtuse, and mouth small; the lateral line is interrupted at 

 its posterior third. The borders of their operculum, suboperculum, 

 and interoperculum strongly dentated, but not that of the preoper- 

 culum. There are five rays in the branchiae, and many spinous ones 

 in the dorsal, and even in the anal. The stomach is moderate, round- 

 ed, and their pylorus has but three appendages. But one species is 

 known, 



An. testudineus^ Cuv.(l), called the Paneiri or Tree-Climber} 

 highly celebrated because it not only leaves the water, but, ac- 

 cording to Daldorf, even climbs up the shrubs on its banks; this 

 latter assertion, however, is denied. Found throughout all India. 



POLYACANTHUS, Kuhl. 



Rays spinous; as numerous as in Anabas, and more so; the same 

 mouth, scales, and interrupted lateral line; but neither of the oper- 

 cula is dentated; the body is compressed, and there are four rays in 

 the branchias; a narrow band of small, short, and crowded teeth in 

 the jaws, but none in the palate; the branchial apparatus is more 

 simple, and their pylorus has but two csecal appendages. 



Found in rivers, &c. throughout all India. (2) The 



Macropodus, Lacep. 



Only differs from Polyacanthus in a less extended dorsal, which ter- 

 minates, as well as the caudal and the ventrals, in a slender point, 

 more or less elongated. The anal is larger than the dorsal. 

 Fresh-water fishes, found in India and China. (3) 



Helostoma, Kuhl. 



In addition to the characters of Polyacanthus, the fishes of this genus 

 have a small compressed mouth, so protractile that it seems to ad- 

 vance from the sub-orbitals and to retreat between them; their very 

 small teeth are attached to the borders of the lips, and not to the 

 jaws or palate: there are five rays in the gills. The arches of the 



(1) It is the Amphiprion scaTisor, Bl., Schn., p. 204 and 570, or Perca scandens, 

 Daldorf, Lin. Trans. Ill, p. 62. It is also the Antkias testudineus, Bl., pi. 322, and 

 the Coins coboius, Ham. Buchan, pi. xiii, f. 38. 



(2) Trichopodus coUsa, H. Buchan.; Trich. bejeus. Id. 118; Trich. cotra, Id. 

 119; TV. lalius. Id. 120; Tr. sola, Id. lb.; Tr. chuna, Id. 121; Trichogaster 

 fasciatus, Bl, Schn., pi. xxxvi, p. 164; Chxtodon chinensis, Bl., pi. ccxviii, f. 1. 



(3) The Macropode vert dore, Lacep, III, xvi, 1, and a new and much more beau- 

 tiful species with alternate red and green bands. 



