476 PHYSOSTOMI. 



GeograplLical distrihutiun.—S'md, India, Ceylon, Burma, tlirough Siani, to the Malay Arctipelago and 



China. 



JJses. Althouo-h rarely exceeding a foot in length, these fishes are excellent as food, and owing to their 



quality have been termed " Butter-fish" by Europeans in Bengal, and are generally known as " Pvffta," Hind. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



A. Anal fill unittd to the caudal. 

 Teeth on the palate in an uninterrupted hand. 



1. Callichrous Gangeticus, D. 2, A. 75. Maxillary barbels not quite so long as the head. Ganges. 



Vomerine teeth in tivo separate jnitches. 



2. Callichrous Sindensis, D. 4, A. 45. Maxillary barbels reach middle of pectoral fin. Indus in Sind. 



B. Anal fin distinct from the caudal. 



3. Callichrous bimaculatus, A. 60-75, V. 8. Maxillary barbels reach ventral fin. Pectoral not so long as 

 head, spine smooth or serrated. Fresh waters of Sind, India, Ceylon, and Burma to the jMalay Archipelago 

 and China. 



4. Callichroiis palo, A. G6-7l,y. 9-\0. Maxillary barbels shorter than the head. Pectoral spine feebly 

 serrated. Jumna, Ganges, and Burmese rivers. 



5. Callichrous macrophthahims, A. 69-73, V. 8. Eyes large. Maxillary barbels reach middle of fish. 

 Pectoral fin reaches fourth or fifth anal ray. iladras, Assam, and Burma. 



6. Callichrous Blalaharicus, A. 01-69, V. 8. Maxillary barbels reach anal fin: of a puqjlish brown 

 colour. Malabar coast of India. 



7. Callichrous pabda, A. 54-00, V. 8. Maxillary barbels reach middle or end of pectoral fin. Sind, 

 Punjaub, Gangetic provinces, sub-Himalayan range, Assam and Orissa. 



A. Anal fin united to the caudal. 



Vomerine teeth in an uninterrupted hand. 



1. Callichrous Gangeticus. 



Fterocryptis Gangetica, Peters, Mon. Berl. Acad. I8C1, p. 712. 

 Cryptopterus Gangetica, Giinther, Catal. v, p. 44. 



B. xii, D. 2, P. 1/12, V. 10, A. 75. 



Leng-th of head nearly 1/7, height of body 2/19 of the total length. Maxillary barbels do not quite 

 reach the pectorals, whilst the mandibular ones reach the edge of the gill-mombrane. F('/is— pectoral spine 

 feebly serrated : anal united with the caudal. 



Habitat. — Ganges. I have not procured this species in India, my nearest approach to it being C. Sindensis. 



2. Vomerine teeth in tico separate patches. 

 2. Callichrous Sindensis, Plate CX, fig. 1. 



B. xii, D. 4, P. 1/12, V. 8, A. 47 GV), C. 13. 



Length of head 4§, of caudal 7, height of body 4§ in the total length. B^es— diameter 4| in length of 

 head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 2 apart. The dorsal profile rather elevated, and a little concave over 

 the orbits. The greatest width of the head equals its height, or its length excluding the snout. Cleft of mouth 

 very oblique, the lower jaw prominent, and the eye situated rather above the angle of the mouth. Barbels— 

 the maxillary ones reach to the middle of the pectoral fin : the mandibular ones are thin and nearly half as long 

 as the head. Teeth — in two small oval patches on the vomer not confluent in the median line. Fins — dorsal 

 narrow at its base. Pectoral spine as long in the head behind the middle of the eyes and finely serrated internally, 

 the fin reaches to neai-ly above the commencement of the anal. Ventral reaches the first anal ray. Anal united 

 to the caudal. Colours— silvery, with a black spot behind the gill-opening and above the base of the pectoral 

 tin. body and fins with numerous cloudy dark markings. 



Habitat. Sind from the Indus. The single specimen is figured life size. 



3. Callichrous bimaculatus, Plate CX, figs. 4 and 5. 

 Silnrus bimaculatus, Bloch, t. oG4 ; Bl. Schn. p. 377 ; McClell. Cal. J. N. H. iv, p. 401 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. 

 and Sc. 1849, p. 334. 



Ompoh siluroides, Lacep. v, p. 50, vi, t. i, f. 2. 



Silurus checkra, canio, and dmla, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 151, 152, 375. 



Silunis microcephalus and bimaculatus, Cuv. and Val. xiv, pp. 360, 365. 



Silurus Mysorimis, Cuv. and Val. xiv, p. 364 ; McClelland, Cal. J. N. Hist, iv, p. 402. 



Callichrus iminactdatus, nebulosus, and affinis, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 30G. 



Silurus Indicus, McClelland, Cal. Journ. Nat. Hist, ii, p. 583. 



Schilbc pabo, Sykes, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii, p. 367 (not Silurus pabo, H. B.) 



