104 BULLETIN 188, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



at Payao in the large swamp-lake of that name in north-central 

 Thailand. 



A length of 25 cm. is attained. 



The figure called L. harrmindi (Fowler, 1935a) based on an unde- 

 scribed specimen, 17.8 cm. long, from Bangkok, showing a lateral 

 stripe formed largely of dark spots and having a dark submarginal 

 band on each caudal lobe, strongly resembles examples of Z. setigerwm 

 and does not agree in these respects with Sauvage's imperfect de- 

 scription of L. harmaivdi; the figure furtheraiore shows 36 to 37 scales 

 in the lateral line against 45 given by Sauvage. 



The fish shares with other species of the genus the name pJa ai ao. 

 In Northern Thailand, however, in the Chiengmai and Chiengrai dis- 

 tricts, the name is shortened pla ao. The term ai ao means a worthless 

 fellow, a scamp, and is applied to criminals. 



LUCIOSOMA BLEEKERI Steindachner 



Luciosoma hleekeri Steindachnee, 1879, p. 391 (Meuam Chao Phya at Bangkok). 

 Luciosoma harmandi Sauvage, 1880, p. 231 (Laos, ludo-China) ; 1881, p. 188, pi. 6, 



fig. 4 (Laos, Indo-China). — Fowler, 1934a, p. 115 (Bua Yai, Chiengmai) ; 



1937, p. 173 (Pitsanulok, Kemarat). 



This is a common fish throughout the Menam Chao Phya, from 

 Bangkok to Paknampo, and in various tributaries of that stream, 

 including the Meping at Chiengmai. In addition to many specimens 

 examined from the main stream, the collections include examples 

 from the Meyom in Prae Province, the Mesoi in Lampang Province, 

 and Bung Borapet and its outlets into the Menam Nan. Other streams 

 from which the fish has been examined are the Nakon Nayok and the 

 Meklong at Kanburi, in which latter river it is very abundant. 



The usual length of adult fish is 15 cm. Examples up to 20 cm. 

 are sometimes taken, and a maximum of 25 to 26 cm. is occasionally 

 attained. 



The British Museum collection contains various specimens of this 

 form (labeled L. harmandi) from Thailand: four specimens, from 

 the Menam Chao Phya, presented by the Siamese Museum ; one speci- 

 men received from the late Prince Chumporn; one specimen, from 

 "Western Siam," collected by C. Bock; and two specimens collected by 

 Arthur Vernay in the Mewang, Central Thailand. 



Licciosonia haivnandi, described by Sauvage in 1880 from Laos, 

 Indo-China, seems to have no characters separating it from L. hleekeri, 

 described from Thailand in the previous year. Proportions, squama- 

 tion, and fin rays are the same in the two forms, the only differences 

 brought out in the descriptions being of a minor nature and affecting 

 chiefly markings on the caudal fin. With the information available 

 from the published descriptions, and with the material at hand, the 



