FRESH-WATER FISHES OF SI AM, OR THAILAND 185 



iected by Vernay; the last specimen, however, is doubtfully referred 

 to this species. The onlj' other specimens known appear to be two 

 collected by Deignan in Northern Thailand, one from the Mekong 

 at Chiengsen Kao, January 9, 1937, the other from the Mekok at 

 Chiengrai, Januarj'^ 25, 1937. 



Characters by which this species has been distinguished are: 

 Rather deep body, the depth contained 2.4 to 2.75 in standard length ; 

 30 or 31 scales in lateral line, 5.5 scales above lateral line, 2.5 or 3 

 scales between lateral line and origin of ventral fin, 10 predorsal scales 

 (11 and 12 in Thai specimens), 14 scales around the caudal peduncle; 

 well-developed rostral and maxillary barbels; and last simple dorsal 

 ra}'^ osseous and denticulated. 



The siDccimen from the Mekong, 26.5 cm. in total length, was sent 

 to the British Museum and compared by Dr. Ethelwynn Trew^avas 

 with the t3^pe and other material in that institution. The specimen 

 was found to "agree rather well with the type, differing mainly in 

 the longer barbels, deeper body and incomplete lateral line." Both 

 rostral and maxillary barbels in the type are 0.75 the diameter of the 

 eye; in the second Sumatran specimen the rostral barbel equals the 

 diameter of the eye, and the maxillary barbel is 1.3 times the diameter 

 of the eye, while in the Thai example both barbels are 1.75 times the 

 diameter of the eye. The depth of the body in standard length is 

 2.75, 2.4, and 2.3 in the three specimens. The lateral line varies 

 markedly in the material available, being complete in the type, absent 

 in the second example from Sumatra, incomplete in one of the Thai 

 specimens and complete though rather w^eak in the other. The gill 

 rakers on the lower arm of the first arch number 5 and 6 and 7 and 10, 

 respectively, in the Sumatran and Thai specimens. 



PUNTIUS SIMUS, new species 

 FlGXJEE 32 



Description. — Comparatively short, moderately compressed, dorsal 

 and ventral profiles similar ; depth of body 3 in standard length ; depth 

 of caudal peduncle 1.3 in its length and 2 in head ; head about 3.5 in 

 length, its width 1.6 in its length ; snout short, blunt, 4.3 in head, 1.3 

 in eye; eye far in advance of midlength of head, 3.3 in head, 1.6 in 

 interorbital space; nasal flap expanded into a nearly circular shape; 

 maxillary barbel 0.8 diameter of eye ; mouth terminal, oblique, strongly 

 arched, wide as eye, maxillary extending under anterior margin of eye. 



Squamation: Lateral line complete, with 31 tube-bearing scales; 

 scales in transverse series from midline of back to base of ventral fin 

 4.5-1-3 ; predorsal scales 10 ; circumpeduncular scales 16. 



Fins : Origin of dorsal fin midway between tip of snout and base of 

 caudal fin, over eighth scale of lateral line, opposite origin of ventrals; 



