1920.] S. L. HoRA. ; Indian Honialopteridae. 20i 



in spite of the fact that they have been preserved in alcohol in 

 Calcutta for at least a century. 



The head and body of this species is much depressed and the 

 chest and belly are quite flat and scaleless. The length of head 

 is contained 5| times in the total length excluding the caudal and 

 the depth of the bod}^ about 10 times. The eye is very small and 

 situated on the dorsal surface of the head ; its diameter is |- of the 

 length of the head, which is almost as broad as long. The 

 anterior border of the snout is semicircular and its margin trench- 

 ant. The dorsal profile is slightly arched, and is highest near the 

 base of the dorsal fin. 



Barbels: — There "are six short and stumpy barbels, fairly 

 broad near their bases and tapering to a point. Of these, 2 pairs 

 are rostral and one pair just at the angle of the mouth. 



Fins : — The pectoral fin is greatly flattened and is pedunculate, 

 the dorsal surface of the peduncle being covered with scales. 

 There are 9 simple rays, the first being flattened, and 12 branched 

 ones. The ventral fin has two simple rays and 9 branched ones, 

 the first simple ray being moderately flattened. The first few 

 rays of both the pectorals and ventral s are provided with thick 

 cushion-like muscles on the ventral surface. 



Pharyngeal teeth : — It is very difficult to see the exact number 

 of teeth because they are loose and readily fall off. However in 

 my preparation there are about 13 long, delicate teeth arranged 

 in a single row. 



Scales : — With the exception of the chest and belly, the 

 whole of the body is covered with fairly large scales. There are 

 about 60 — 64 along the lateral line, which shows a downward 

 curvature in front of the origin of the ventrals. Eight rows of 

 scales are present between the lateral line and the dorsal surface 

 and 6 rows between it and the base of the ventral fin. 



A scale from the dorsal surface is rectangular in general 

 outline, with a flat base and an arched upper margin. There is no 

 well defined nucleus. A few circular striae (6 — 7) are present near 

 the base, while on the lateral margins and near the apex there are 

 about a dozen. The striae are tiot interrupted as the radii to the 

 base are wanting and only about 5 — 6 radii to the apex are 

 present There are also a number of shorter radii. In a scale 

 from the lateral line the base and apex are both flattened but 

 slightly emarginate. Other characters are the large number of 

 circular striae and a few ill-defined radii to the apex. 



The following are the measurements of a scale from near the 

 dorsal surface of a specimen 95 mm. in length : — 



Length . . . . . . • 17 niin- 



Breadth . . . . . . • • i'3 nim. 



Distance from the centre of the nucleus to the 



base . . . . . • • 0*5 mm. 



Colour : — The specimens before me have completely lost their 



