FRESH-WATERFISHES OF SIAM, OR THAILAND 3 



In the numerous citations of Bleeker's records for Siamese fishes, 

 the figure appearing in parentheses after the year of publication is the 

 arbitrary running number assigned by Weber and de Beaufort in the 

 list of Bleeker's papers as given in volume 1 of "The Fishes of the 

 Indo- Australian Archipelago" (1911). 



For most species a statement is made of its general range, its local 

 distribution, its size, its spawning and other habits as far as known, 

 and its food value and economic importance. For many genera and 

 species discussions of taxonomic relations, nomenclature, local varia- 

 tions, and color notes on living specimens are included. To render the 

 catalog more generally useful to laymen and to facilitate the identifi- 

 cation of specimens in markets and in the catch of fishermen, many of 

 the local vernacular names are given. 



The catalog includes 15 orders, 49 families, 9 subfamilies, 209 genera, 

 of which 8 are new and 1 has been given a new name, 560 species, 

 including 50 new to science and 1 new name, and 5 subspecies. One 

 new subneus (p. 97) is proposed. 



SOURCES OF INFORMATION 



The principal basis for this work is the collections and observations 

 made in Siam by the writer in the years 1923-34, during which he was 

 adviser in fisheries to the Siamese Government. All sections of the 

 country were visited, large collections were preserved, and informa- 

 tion was obtained by personal observations and by interviews with 

 local officials and fishermen. These collections were supplemented by 

 specimens brought in by various assistants in the Siamese Bureau of 

 Fisheries. 



Other material from government sources consisted of valuable speci- 

 mens from Eastern and Northern Siam obtained by employes of the 

 Royal Forest Department, and a miscellaneous lot of fishes, badly 

 preserved and poorly labeled, which had been accumulating for many 

 years in the Royal Siamese Museum, an institution that as a depository 

 of zoological objects has now ceased to function. 



A representative series of specimens was presented to the United 

 States National Museum by the Siamese Bureau of Fisheries, which 

 also lent certain other material for examination in Washington. 



Numerous specimens of fresh-water fishes from all parts of the 

 country obtained by Layang Gaddi during his general zoological col- 

 lecting for the United States National Museum have been recorded 

 in the present work. 



One of the most extensive collections of Siamese fresh-water fishes 

 was made about 1921-22 by Dr. Malcolm A. Smith, at the time living 

 in Bangkok, now with the British Museum. His specimens were 

 mostly from Bangkok and the. lower Menam Chao Phya, but some 

 came from streamsi n the mountains of Nakon Sritamarat in Benin- 



