PREFACE. 



Whilst stationed at Cochin on the Malabar Coast of India, from 1859 to 1804 

 the annually increasing importance of its fisheries came most prominently to mv notice. 

 Desirous of ascertaining what species of fish were most abundant, and which were 

 best adapted for different manufactures, I was induced to make a collection of those 

 procurable from the sea, estuaries, or fresh waters, with notes on their habits and 

 uses, to elucidate which plain and coloured drawings of each species were made as 

 soon as possible after the fish had been captured. 



When returning to Europe a note-book and two boxes of specimens were un- 

 fortunately mislaid, but one of the latter having been recovered, several species will 

 be found included in this work which are absent from my Catalogue of The Fishes 

 of Cochin, published in the Proceedings of "The Zoological Society of London." 



The portion of India comprised under the denomination of Malabar, and the 

 fishes of which are included in this work, extends from Mangalore on its western 

 coast, in latitude 15° 25' N. and longitude 74° 50' E., to Cape Comorin, in latitude 

 8° 10' N. and longitude 77° 30' E. ; whilst inland it reaches to the Western Ghauts. 



Having through the kindness of Colonel Sir Henry James, R. E. been shown the 

 mode of engraving on copper pursued at the Ordnance Office, I have been induced to 

 personally delineate most of the new species described in this work, as well as some 

 whose existence was previously deemed doubtful. 



My thanks are especially due to the following friends. To the Rev. Henry Baker, 

 Junior, who kindly collected many specimens from the Hill ranges of Travancore, a 

 portion of Malabar which I was unable to personally visit ; six species received from 

 him appear to be new and will be severally pointed out in the descriptions. To G. A. 

 Ballard, Esq., the Collector of Malabar, for the returns of his collectorate and much 

 useful and interesting information on the present state of tbe coast fisheries. To J. 

 Newill, Esq., the British Resident of Travancore and Cochin, for the returns from 

 those Native States. To A. C. Brisbane Neill, Esq., retired list Madras Medical 



b 



