656 PHTSOSTOMI. 



Of the whole volume of blood contained in the branchial artery, one-third passes through the gills and respira- 

 tory bladder, whilst the other two-thirds are conveyed directly from the heart to the aorta without being 

 exposed to the action of the air." Taylor, Gleanings in Science, ii, p. 173, and Edinb. Joum. of Sc. v, 1831, 

 p. 33 ; Hyrtl, Denk. Ak. Wiss. Wien, 1858, xiv, c. tab. 



1. Amphipnous cuchia, Plate CLXVII, fig. 1. 



Murcena, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 25 and Dondoo Pawn, pi. 35. 



JJmhranchapertura cuchia, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 16, 363, pi. 16, f. 4. 



Amphipnous cuchia, Miiller, Ak. Wiss. Berl. 1839, p. 244 ; Cantor, Malay. Fish. p. 338 ; Bleeker, Beng. 

 p. 78 ; Kaup, Apodal Fish, p. 120 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 14. 



Ophichthiis piWKtiitns, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 336. 



Pneumohwichus striatus, leprosus (white and spotted), and albinus (orange yellow), McClelland, Cal. J. 

 N. H. V, pp. 192, 195, 196, 219. 



Ciichia, Ooriah and Beng. : Nga-sheen, Burmese. 



Length of head (from gill-opening) 6 to 8 in the distance between the snout and the anus : length of 

 tail 4 to 41 in the entire length. Eyes — two to three diameters from end of snout and situated in the anterior 

 1/4 or 1/5 of length of the head, abont midway between the end of the snout and the posterior extremity of 

 the jaws : a valved nostril opens above the orbit : a second, round and patent, in front of the snout. Upper 

 jaw slightly the longer : lips fleshy. Teeth— & single row of small ones in the premaxillaries, except opposite 

 the symphysis : a single band of large, curved, compressed and backwardly directed ones on either palatine : 

 and a single row of moderately large ones on either ramus of the mandibles. Fins— a rudimentary dorsal 

 commences slightly anterior to the vertical of the anus. ScaZes— distinct and longitudinally arranged. 

 Gill-opem'ngs — inferior, the membrane adherent to the isthmus. Vertebree 106/65. Colours — greenish, or 

 of a chestnut-brown, becoming lighter on the abdomen : numerous black spots over the body : occasionally 

 they are seen flesh-coloured. 



One 13 inches in length in the Calcutta Museum, has the following label: — "From Seeb-Sangor, 

 presented by S. E. Peel, Esq. This fish was hoed out of stijf blue clay as I was standing overlooking men at 

 work, making a bund, June 24th, 1865. No water had been seen near for some time." 



" Natives reject it as food and imagine that its bite is fatal to cattle, although less powerful on the 

 human kind,— a supposition highly improbable " (Ham. Buch.). 



Habitat— Vresh and brackish waters of Punjab, extending to Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Burma. It 

 attains at least two feet in length. 



Second group — STMBRANCHi>rA. 



Humeral arch not attached to skull : no accessory breathing apparatus. Scales absent. 



Genus, 2 — MoNOPTEEUS, Lacepede. 



Fluta, Bl. Schn. ; Ophicardia, McClelland ; Ai^terigia, Basilewski. 



Branch! osterj ah five or six. Gill-membranes almost entirely attached to the isthmus, having a single transverse 

 opening. Three hrancMal arches separated by moderately wide intermediate slits, with the lamina; rudimentary or 

 absetit. Palatine teeth in a narrow band. Scales ahsent. No accessory breathing sac. 



Dareste observed a complete absence of branchial laminre in three examples of Monopterus Javanensis. 

 1. Monopterus Javanensis, Plate CLXIX, fig. 1. 



Murmna alba, Zuiew, Nov. Act, Ac. Petrop. vii, p. 1793, p. 290, t. vii, f. 2. 



Monopterus Javanensis, Lacep. ii, p. 139; Bleeker, Java, p. 22, Sym. p. 59, and Atl. Ich. iv, p. 118, t. 

 191, f. 1 ; Gunther, Catal. viii, p. 14. 



Unihranchapedura Imvis, Lacep. v, p. 658, pi. 17, f. 3. 



Monopterus Javanicus, Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 33 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 339, pi. v, f. 6-8 ; Kaup, Apod. p. 123. 



Symbranchus eurychasma, Bleeker, Mur. p. 60. 



Ophicardia Phayriana, McClelland, C. J. N. Hist, v, pp. 191, 218, pi. xii, f. 1. 



Symbranchus grammicus. Cantor, Ann. and Mag. ix, p. 30. 



Monopterus Irrvis, cinereus and xanthognathus, Rich. Voy. Sulphur, Ich. pp. 116, 117, 118, pi. 52, 1-7, 

 and Ich. China, p. 315. 



Monopterus marmoratus and helvolus, Richards, Ich. China, p. 316. 



Ophicardia xanthognatha, Richards, 1. c. 



Apterigia saccogularis, nigromaculata and immaeulata, Basilewsky, Nouv. Me'm. Nat. Mosc. x, 1855, pp. 

 247, 248, t. 2, f. 2, and t. 8, f. 2. 



Length of head 9 to 12 in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent: length of body 

 about four or five times that of the tail. JEyes— situated about midway between angle of mouth and end 

 of snout, diameter 1/8 of length of head, 2 diameters from end of snont and 1 to Ii apart. Greatest diameter of 

 fish at the occiput. Profile of upper snrface of the head descends somewhat suddenly from above the eyes to the 

 snout, which last is pointed and somewhat compressed. Extent of cleft of mouth equals about _ 1/3 in the 

 distance between end of snout and gill-opening. Tail narrow and tapering to a point. Teeth— uQmc8.\, and in 



