FAMILY, XXXVII-OPHIOCBPHALIDJE. 365 



along tlie sides and beneath. " A black, white-edged ocellus, superiorly on the basal portion of the caudal 

 fin," Giinther, I. c. See remarks under O. leucoputictatus (p. 364). 



Habitat. — India, originally received from the East India Museum as 0. wrahl. 



4. Ophiocephalus barca, Plate LXXVII, fig. 2. 



Ham. Buch. Pish. Ganges, pp. 67, 367, pi. 35, f 20; Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 436; McClell. C. J. N. H. i, 

 p. 427, pi. xi, f. 3; Bleeker, Ben. en Hind. p. 42 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 477. 



? Ophiocephahis nigricans, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 431 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 477. 



Bora chung, Russell, J. A. S. of Beng. viii, 1839, p. 551. 



Ophiocephalus ainphihius, McCleU. C. J. N. H. v, p. 275 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind. p. 42. 



B. V, D. 47-52, P. 16, V. 1/5, A. 34-36, C. 19, L. 1. 60-65, L. tr. VI • 



Length of head 4 to 41, of caudal 4 j to 5j, height of body 5^ to 7| in the total length. Etjes — diameter 

 7 to 71 in length of head, from \\ to 2 diameter.s from end of snout, and 2 apart. Height of head not so great 

 as its width which equals that of the body, and almost the length of the postorbital portion of the head. The 

 posterior extremity of the maxilla reaches to nearly 1 diameter behind the hind edge of the eye. Teeth — 

 amongst the small ones are a few widely separated conical ones in an inner row in the lower jaw, two or three 

 large ones on vomer, and a few on the palatines. Fins — dorsal commences above the posterior extremity of the 

 opercle and is almost 3/4 as high as the body. Pectoral does not quite reach to above the commencement of the 

 anal fin, while the ventral is 2/5 of its length. Anal similar to dorsal. Caudal rounded. Scales — plate-like 

 scales of moderate size on the summit of head, 15 rows between snout and base of dorsal fin, nine rows between 

 eye and angle of preopercle. The scales are roughened in lines, forming irregular arches and springing from 

 the centre of the base or middle of each scale. Those on the anterior posterior of the body are rather smaller 

 than those in its posterior portion. Colours — dark violet superiorly, becoming dull white shot with purple 

 beneath, the whole of the back and sides covered with large black blotches, some also exist on the dorsal, caudal, 

 and anal fins, each of which have a red edge : pectorals reddish, with numerous black spots. 



The type of 0. amphibius, I. c. 17 inches long, has a few more scales, L. 1. 8<), L. tr. 8/17. Length of 

 head 5, height of body 7 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 6 in length of head, 1 diameter from end of 

 snout, and 1^ apart. Otherwise as above. The specimen in the Calcutta Museum is from Bootan. 



Habitat. — Large rivers of the Bengal Presidency, portions of the North Western Provinces, and Assam. 

 It attains three feet in length. The specimen figured is 13 inches long, and from Calcutta. " It inhabits 

 perpendicular banks, in holes dug like those of the MaHin (Hirundo). In these it lurks, watching for its prey, 

 with its head out." (Ham. Buchanan). 



5. Ophiocephalus micropeltes, Plate LXXVII, fig. 4. 



(Kuhl. and v. Hass.), Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 427; Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxxiii, Labyr. p. 12 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. iii, p. 482. 



Ophiocejyhalus serpentinus, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 420 ; Griff, in Cuv. An. King, x, pi. 52, f. 2. 

 Ophiocephalus diplogramme, Day, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 36, and Pish. Mai. p. 147, pi. x (young). 



B. V, D. 43-46, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. 27-30, C. 15, L. 1. 95-110, L. tr. y|:f^. Vert. 53. 



Length of head o\ to 3f, of caudal 6^ to 7^, height of body 6 to 6^ in the total length. Eyes — 

 diameter 8^ in length of head, (7 in the young), 2 to 3 diameters from end of snout, 2 to 2i apart. Width of 

 head equals 4/7 of its length, its height equals nearly 1/2 its length. The maxilla reaches to rather behind the 

 hind edge of the eye : lower jaw slightly the longer. Teeth — a widely separated row of conical ones in the lower 

 jaw, vomer, and palatines. Fins — dorsal commences above the last foui-th of the opercles, is of equal height to the 

 anal or 1/2 the height of the body. Pectoral reaches to above the commencement of the anal : ventral about half 

 as long as the pectoral, it has a distinct although weak unarticulated spine and five rays. Caudal fan-shaped. 

 Scales — those on the upper surface of the head, although plate-like, are comparatively small, 22 rows between 

 the snout and base of dorsal fin, 16 or 17 between the eye and angle of the preopercle. The scales are 

 roughened in lines which on the head are more or less parallel with the outer margin of each scale, along the 

 body they are arched. Lateral-line — descends gently to a little behind the end of the pectoral fin when it 

 becomes straight. Colours — vary considerablj', in the aclult gi'ayish-brown, with the head, back, and sides 

 sprinkled with small brown spots. Dorsal fin gray, with three or four narrow dark bands and a white outer 

 edge : anal gray, with a white margin. Caudal gray, spotted with black, and having a narrow white outer 

 edge. In the young, and up to 12 or 14, or even to 18 inches in length, the back is grayish, sides of an orange 

 scarlet : a black band goes through the eye to the upper half of the caudal fin, and a second from the angle of 

 the mouth to its lower half. In some, vertical bars are also present. 



The ditference in colour in these two varieties makes it almost incredible that they can be the same 

 species, but not only have I examined a large number of specimens from Malabar and Canara, but seen similar 

 instances at Berlin, and the Hague. The change of colour is not simply due to size, the immature livery being 

 sometimes retained in very large specimens. 



Habitat. — Malabar and Western coast of India, Siam to the Malay Archipelago. It attains at least three 

 feet in length. The specimen figured (15 inches long) «as from Trichoor in Malabar. 



