FAMILY, I— SILXJEID^. 44? 



lateral-line, a ligtter parallel one below, and two wider ones above. Sometimes these fisb appear to be dark, 

 with 5 longitudinal silvery bands. Tips of fins usually dark. 



Bagrus affinis, Jerdon, is said to ditler in its more depressed head, eye, if anything, smaller : dorsal spine 

 barely notched, pectoral spine with 12 teeth. 



This fish is termed " the fiddler" in Mysore : I touched one which was on the wet ground, at which it 

 appeared to become very irate, erecting its dorsal fin and making a noise resembling the buzzing of a bee, 

 evidently a sign of anger. Having pat some small carp into an aquarium containing one of these fishes it 

 rushed at a small example, seized it by the middle of its back and shook it like a dog killing a rat, at this time 

 its barbels were stiffened out laterally like a cat's whiskers. 



Habitat. — Throughout Sind, the continent of India, Assam, Burma, Siam, also Ceylon : it attains 7 or 8 

 inches in length. 



13. Macrones leucophasis, Plate C, fig. 2. 



Bagrus leucophasis, Blyth, Pro. A. S. of Bengal, 1860, p. 148. 



Macrones leucophasis, Giinther, Catal. v, p. 78 ; Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 112. 



B. xi, D. i I 0, P. 1/8-10, V. 6, A. 11-12 {-^%), C. 17. 



Length of head 4>\ to 5, of caudal 3^ to 4i, height of body 4i in the total length. £'^es— diameters 4 to 

 i> in the lengtli of the head, 1|- to 2 diameters from the end of snout, and 1 to Ij apart. The greatest width of 

 the head ecpials its length behind the nostrils. Snout rounded, the upper jaw slightly the longer. Median 

 longitudinal groove on the head does not quite reach the base of the occipital process, which last is twice as 

 long as wide at its base, whilst between it and the basal bone of the dorsal fin is a pyriform bone about twice as 

 long as wide. Upper surface of the head rather rugose. Barbels — the nasal ones reach to the front edge or the 

 middle of the eye, the maxillary to the anal fin, the external mandibular to the middle of the pectoral, and the 

 internal to the gill-openings. Teeth — in an uninterrupted crescentic band across the palate. Fins — dorsal spine 

 moderately strong, as long as the head posterior to the nostrils or angle of the mouth, finely serrated posteriorly in 

 its upper fourth ; the adipose fin commences just behind the first dorsal, and the length of its base is from twice to 

 two and a half times that of the base of the first dorsal. Pectoral spino much stronger than that of the 

 dorsal, than which it is a little shorter, and denticulated internally. Caudal deeply forked, the lobes having 

 filamentous prolongations. Air-vessel — large. Colours — purplish-black over body and fins : some white dots 

 exist on the body. 



Habitat. — Rivers of Burma, attaining a foot or more in length. Major Berdmore sent 4 or 5 specimens 

 from Tenasserim to the Calcutta Museum. The specimen figured (life-size) was from Bassein.^ The native 

 name Nga-pet-leh and Nga-nouk-thatva signifies " topsy-turvy" as it is believed to swim in that position. 



14. Macrones montanus, Plate CI, fig. 4. 

 Bagrus montanus, Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 337. 



B. X, D. i I 0, P. 1/6, V. 6, A. 12 (f), C. 19. 



Length of head 5, of caudal 5, height of body 6 in the total length. Eijes — diameters 3^- to 4 in the 

 length of head, rather above 1 diameter from the end of snout, and 1^- apart. A very slight rise in the profile 

 from snout to base of first dorsal fin. Greatest width of the head equals its length behind the angle of the 

 mouth. Upper jaw slightly the longer : the width of the mouth equals 2/5 of the length of the head. Upper 

 surface of the head roug'hened in granulated lines which extend on to the occipital process. Median 

 longitudinal groove extends to midway between the eye and the base of the occipital process, which last is 

 narrow, about four times as long as wide at its base, and extends to the basal bone of the dorsal fin : opercle witli 

 roughened, radiating lines : shoulder bone i-ather longer than deep at its base and with roughened lines. 

 Barbels — the nasal ones extend to rather behind the hind edge of the eye, the maxiUary ones to the anal fin, the 

 external mandibular to the end of the pectoral, whilst the internal are shorter. Teeth— m. an uninten-upted 

 crescentic band across the palate. Fins — dorsal nearly as high as the body, its spine rather weak, half as long 

 as the head and posteriorly serrated : length of base of adipose dorsal one-third more than that of rayed fin 

 which equals that of the interspace. Pectoral spine strong, as long as the head excluding the snout, and with 

 about 16 strong denticulations internally. Ventral does not reach anal : upper caudal lobe the longer. 

 Colours — silvery superiorly, with a tinge of yellow on the under surface of the head and along the abdomen, 

 a bluish shoulder spot, and a silvery line along the side ending in a dark spot at the base of the caudal fin, 

 one or two Hght bands along the side above the lateral-line : fins tinged with green. 



Among.st Su- W. Elliott's figures was one of this species marked by Jerdon ''Bagrus ? Manantoddy," 



taken in connection with the locality where I procured the fish, leaves but little room to doubt the identity of 

 the two. 



Bagrus agricolus, Jerdon, is said to have, A. 10, and maxillary barbels only reach the ventrals, to be 

 found in the Wynaad, and no other essential diflerences are pointed out. (Madr. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 339j. 



Habitat. — Wynaad range of hills, and Manantoddy. 



15. Macrones keletius, Plate XCVIII, fig. 3. 

 Bagrus hdetius, Cuv. and Val. xiv, p. 411 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 337 ; (not Sleeker). 

 Macrones keletius, Giinther (not synon.). 



3 M 



