252 BCllilA, ITS rEOPLE AND PRODUCTIOXS. 



Blunt spinatc ossiclt's in skin. The pectoral spine dentieuluted internally, and 

 serrated externally; each alternate tooth directed anteriorly or posteriorly. Caudal 

 rays not elongated. Ycdlowish-brown, banded or blotcluid with darker. Fins black- 

 banded. Barbels aunulated with blacli. Grows to 3i inches. 



Burma. 



E. coNTA, Ham. Buch. 

 Nga-they-to and Ngri-kyouk-tliwa. 



Skin tuberculatcd. The pectoral spine denticulated internally, and backwardly 

 serrated externally. Upper caudal ray elongated. Coloured as E. hara, save the 

 mandibular barbels are not annulated. 



Burma, as far south as Tenasserim. 



Rita, Bleeher. 



Branchiostegals 8. The mouth transverse, upper jaw the longer. The nostrils 

 on either side contiguous to each other, but widely separated from those on the other. 

 Eyes subcutaneous, and without free circular margins. Barbels 6, a minute pair 

 at the posterior nostrils, a maxillary and a mandibular pair. Teeth villiform in both 

 jaws, and molariform teeth in the mandible as well, and on the palate. Ova larger 

 than in Macrones. 



E.. SACERDOTUM, Audcrson. 



Upper half of body brownish olive, more or less suffusing the ventral surface, 

 behind the ventral fins. Eins bi'own on both aspects. Eye a transverse ellipse 

 margined with golden, the scloritic being brownish golden. Grows to 5 feet, and 

 inhabits the Irrawaddy River, about Thingadaw pagoda, where the fish readily assemble 

 at the call of "■tit-tit," and are so tame as to allow themselves to be freely handled, 

 according to Dr. Anderson, and even allow the hand to be introduced into their 

 mouths. 



R. BucHANANi, Bleeker. 



Nga-htwe. 



B. viii. ; D. i-0 ; P. -h; V. 8; A. 12-13; C. 19. 



Top of head covered with skin, except a strip anterior to the base of the 

 occipital process. Teeth villif'urra above, and the outer and anterior ones in the 

 mandible. Two or three rows of inner mandibular teeth rounded and larger poste- 

 riorly. The maxillary barbels nearly reach the end of the head, the mandibular are 

 a little shorter. Dorsal spine very strong and slightly serrated behind in its upper 

 portion. Air-vessel large, thick, quadrangular, posteriorly biciu'ved, and bipartite. 

 Colour lurid green, paler below. Grows to 4 feet. 



The Irrawaddy River. 



Akfus, Cuvicr. 



Head above osseous, or covered with veiy thin skin. Eyes mostly with free 

 orbital margins. Anterior and posterior nostrils placed close together, the latter 

 valvular. Barbels 6, 1 maxillary, and 2 mandibular pairs. Villiform teeth on 

 jaws, villiform or globular on palate and sometimes the vomer. Eggs larger than 

 in Rita. 



Fish of this genus are inferior as food, but are largely salted and afford a coarse 

 isinglass. Day describes the remarkable habit possessed by the males of chis genus 

 of hatching the ova in their mouths. "I found many males, also of Osteogeniosut, 

 with 15 to 20 of them in their mouths. Some of the eggs were in an early stage of 

 development, others nearly ready to be hatched, while in the mouth of one specimen 

 was a hatched fry, having the yolk-bag still adherent. The eggs filled the cavity of 

 the mouth, and extended far back to the branchi.e. Whether the male carries about 

 these eggs in his mouth till hatched, or only removes them when danger is imminent 

 from some spot where ho is guarding them, is questionable ; but in none of the speci- 

 mens which 1 examined, did I find a trace of fond iu the intestines of the males, 

 wiiich luid been engaged iu this interesting occupation." 



