FAMILY, I— SILURID^. 451 



beneath, with or without a brown band along the side, and a dark blotch at the base of the caudal fin. Upper 

 half of dorsal tin darkish, and a dark band along the anal. 



This fish is allied to M. Malaharicus, diifering in a higher body, more elevated dorsal profile, a higher 

 dorsal fin, and an anal papilla. 



Habitat. — Malabar and the Wjnaad range of hills. 



18. Macrones Bleekeri, Plate CI, fig. 1. 



Bagrus keletius. Bleaker, Beng. en Hind. p. 115 (not Cuv. and Val.). 



.*■ Barjrus tengara, (var.) Blyth, P. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 149. 



Macrones keletius, Giinther, Catal. v, p. 84. 



B. X, D. i I 0, P. 1/9-10, V. 6, A. 9-10 (^V), C. 17. 



Length of head 5j to 5^, of caudal 5|, height of body 5 in the total length. Ei/es — diameters 4| 

 in the length of head, nearly 2 diameters from the end of snout, and 1^ apart. Greatest width of the head 

 equals its length behind the hind nostril, and equals its height. Snout somewhat obtuse. Width of the gape 

 of the mouth nearly equals half the length of the head. Upper surface of head, opercles, occipital bone 

 and humeral process granulated. Median longitudinal groove on the head shallow, and reaching to the base of 

 the occipital process, which is twice as long as broad at its base, and reaches the basal bone of the dorsal fin. 

 Occipital process not grooved, but vsdth ridged lines. Barlels — nasal ones reach the hind edge of the 

 eye, maxillary ones the anal fin, external mandibular ones the base of the pectoral, the internal ones a little 

 shorter. Teeth — on the palate in an uninterrupted semilunar band. Fins — dorsal fin rounded, not so high as 

 the body, the spine smooth and equal to half the length of the head, (in Sind specimens it is slightly serrated 

 posteriorly and I once saw a specimen that had eight branched dorsal rays:) adipose dorsal commences just 

 behind the rayed fin, and the length of its base is twice that of the head. Pectoral spine stronger than that 

 of the dorsal, and as long as the head excluding the snout : denticulated internally. Caudal with pointed lobes, 

 the upper being the longer. Colours — brownish-gray, with two light longitudinal bands, one above the other 

 below the lateral-line, some specimens have a dark shoulder spot and a dark band along the middle of 

 the anal fin. The fins are mostly darkest at their edge. In a specimen from Burma there is a dark spot at the 

 end of the lateral-line and light longitudinal body bands. 



Habitat. — Sind, Jumna, upper waters of the Ganges, and Burma, not attaining to a large size. It 

 descends the rivers as low as Bengal. 



Genus, 2 — Leiocassis, Sleeker. 



Rama, Bleeker ; Macrones, pt. Giinther. 



Branchiostegals six. Gill-openings very wide, the membrane not being confluent with the skin of the isthmus, 

 and notched as far as the chin. Mouth of moderate size, anterior, the upper jaw the longer. Nostrils distant one 

 from the other. Eyes subcutaneous. Barbels six, a short maxillary and two mandibular pairs. Teeth villiform in 

 both jaws, and in an iminterrujited band across the palate. One spine and six rays in the first dorsal; adipose fin 

 present, it and the anal of moderate lengths. Ventral ivith six rays, situated posterior to the base of the dorsal : 

 caudal forked. Air-vessel not enclosed in bone. 



Geographical distribution. — Eastern Bengal and Assam to the Malay Archipelago. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Leiocassis rama, A. 16. A dark shoulder mark. Body with short vertical dark marks. Eastern 

 Bengal and Assam. 



1. Leiocassis rama, Plate CXiV, fig. 2. 



Pimelodus rama. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 176, 377, pi. 3, f. 65. 



.'' Pimelodus chandramara. Ham. Buch. 1. c. pp. 162, 375. 



.'' Silundia chandramara, Cuv. and Val. xiv, p. 62. 



Silonia diaphina, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 306. 



? Batasio chandramara, Blyth, P. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 150. 



Hama Bxichanani, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. Silur. p. 8. 



B. vi, D. i I 0, P. 1/9, V. 6, A. 16 (Jj), C. 18. 



Length of head 4 to 4i, of caudal 4|, height of body 4J to 6 in the total length. .Ei/es— subcutaneous, 



diameters 3 to 3^ in the length of head, 1 diameter from the end of snout, and also apart._ The greatest width 



of the head equals its length excluding the snout. There is a considerable rise in the dorsal profile 



to the base of the rayed fin. Upper jaw the longer. Upper surface of the head covered with skin, a rather 



wide median longitudinal groove which extends up the first third of the occipital process, which is twice a.s 



long as wide at its base, and a distinct oval internem'al shield exists between it and the basal bone of 



the dorsal fin. Scapular process well developed : humero-cubital process rather longer than high_ at its base. 



Barbels — a short maxillary pair, two pairs behind the symphysis of the lower jaw. Teeth — in an uninterrupted, 



semicircular villiform band across the palate. CoZom/'s— golden, with short, vertical, brown marks and a dark 



shoulder spot, 



^ 3 M 2 



