FAMILY, XXXVIII— LABTRINTHICI. 373 



Length of head 3| to 4, of caudal 4 to 41, height of body 3 to 3i in the total length, i/j/es— diameter 

 3 J in length of head, l| diameters from end of snout, and also apart. Body compressed : head acute, rather 

 depressed, with the lower jaw the longer. The posterior extremity of the intermaxillaries reaches to opposite 

 the front edge of the eye, the maxilla 4/5 of the same distance. Preorbital rather large and coarsely 

 serrated, as is also the lower edge of the preopercle. Teeth — villiform, with some rather enlarged ones in the 

 jaws. Fins — dorsal small, and situated in the posterior third of the length of the body. Pectoral rather above 

 half the length of the head. Outer ventral ray prolonged in some specimens. Anal commences from 

 close behind the end of the ventral spine and is continued almost to the caudal, fi-om which it is separated by a 

 . notch, its spines increase in length posteriorly. Scales — ctenoid, extending over the bases of the vertical fins. 

 iaferaZ-Znie— when present in the form of a simple orifice in the centre of each scale : occasionally it becomes 

 more tubular towards the caudal region. An accessory cavity to the gills exists above and behind the branchi». 

 Colours — brown, a silvery white band, usually interrupted, passes fi-om the eye to the centre of the 

 base of the caudal fin , a second similar one extends from the pectoral along the side, and a third at the base 

 of the anal. Sometimes there is a black light-edged ocellus at the upper part of the base of the caudal fin. 



Hahitat.—Rxxevs of N. E. Bengal and Assam, extending into those of the hOls. It attains at least 

 4 inches in length. The one figured (life-size) was from Assam. 



Genus, 4 — Tkichogaster, Bl. Schn. 



Colisa, Cuv. and Val. 



BrancMostegals five, branchial arches with toothed tubercles. Opercle entire: preopercle usually serrated. 

 Cleft of mouth small, jaws little protractile. A single dorsal fin, the spinous portion more developed than the soft : 

 anal similar, but of greater extent. Ventral consisting of a single elongated filiform ray. Teeth small m the jaws, 

 vomer and palatines edentulous. Lateral-line, when present, interrupted. Air-vessel divided posteriorly into two 

 portions. Pyloric appendages few. Intestines with many convolutions. 



The numbers of the spines and rays in both the dorsal and anal fins are subject to considerable variation 

 in the species of this genus, whilst the character of the caudal is not invariably identical in all specimens of the 

 same species. The sub-opercle may be serrated or entire in the same species. The lateral-Hne has been said to 

 be present in some, absent in others : on this however undue stress has been laid. In examining 20 

 well-marked, banded Trichogaster chunas, it was found as follows : — in some anteriorly in the form of well- 

 marked tubes, or else they were moderately developed : in others the tubes were absent or represented by a 

 circular spot in the centre of the scale. The tube being the most highly developed form, when less so 

 the round orifice which even may be entu-ely absent, and as all these three varieties are found_ in T. chima, the 

 character of the lateral-line can hardly be considered a siifficient diagnostic distinction for species. 



Oeographical distribution. — Large rivers and waters in their vicinity throughout SLnd, the Punjab, 

 N. W. Provinces, Bengal, Assam, and Burma, but appear to be absent in India, south of the Kistna river 

 throughout the Madras Presidency, along the western coast, and Ceylon. 



Although Bloch and Cuv. and Val. remark upon the existence of these fishes at Pondicherry 

 and Tranquebar, I cannot help thinking some error as to locality has been recorded. The late Dr. Jerdon 

 informed me that he had never seen any in southern India, the Macb-as ]\Iuseum does not possess any, and I 

 have searched in vain for specimens at the two localities given above, where the native fishermen were 

 unacquainted with any fishes resembling the coloured drawings of a Trichogaster. 



Ham. Buch. distinguishes the following six species of Trichogaster : — colisa, bejeus, cotra,laUus, sola, and 

 chuna. His MS. figure of bejeus is however so similar to his published colisa, as to leave but little doubt that 

 the two are varieties of one species, the former is said to have D. y, A. \^, the latter to possess D. -ff, A. -i-f- 

 The T. cotra is stated to have D. y, A. \^, and appears to be the young of the first species. T. lalius seems 

 to be a well marked form, whilst T. sola may be a variety of the black banded T. chma. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Trichogaster chuna, D. ^}:i^, A. ffltj- Caudal slightly emarginate. A dark or black band from the 

 eye to the caudal fin. Bengal and Assam. 



2. Trichogaster hibiosus, D. V> ^- 'tf*- Lips very thick and covered with papillse as in Labeo. Soft 

 dorsal elongated and pointed. Eight or ten bands on the sides. Bui-ma. 



3. Trichogaster fasciatus, \\jW A. i^iZ^. Caudal notched or cut square. Body banded. Large rivers 

 of Sind, India, and Burma, except Madras, south of the Kistna. 



4. Trichogaster lalias, D. »|-:i% A. iilff. Vertical fins densely scaled. Vertically banded with scarlet 

 and azure blue bands. Indus, Ganges, and Jumna rivers. 



1. Trichogaster chuna, Plate LXXIX, fig. 3. 



Trichopodus chuna. Ham. Buch. Pish. Ganges, pp. 121, 372. 

 Colisa chuna, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 368. 

 Trichogaster chuna, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 520. 

 Bah-say-lee or Bainsa-saylee, Assam. 



B. V, D. if:i% P. 9, V. 1, A. ii:|f, C. 15, L. L 27-29, L. tr. 5/10.. 



