1909.] B. L. Chaudhuri : New Species of Fish. 341 



conspicuously silvery which probably functions as a warning 

 organ. 



Size. — Three young specimens from Ambala measure 12*4 cm., 

 I2"9 cm. and I3"3 cm. Full-sized ones weigh up to 1^ lb. each. 



These fish were caught in the month of May, 1908, by 

 W. J. A. Bird, Esq., Superintending Engineer, Sirhind Circle 

 (Ambala), at Rupar, where the Sirhind Canal diverges from the 

 Sutlej. The fish are said to be very good eating, and, as an indivi- 

 dual reaches i^ lb. in weight, are of considerable economic value. 



This fish has some superficial resemblance to a small fish, viz., 

 Botia geto ot Day {Cohitis geto of Hamilton Buchanan, Schistura 

 geta of McClelland and Geto rostrata of Giinther), which, besides 

 being a smaller fish, differs in its most important proportions, 

 shape and formation of head (figured by Dr. Giinther in the British 

 Museum Cat. of Fishes, vol. vii, p. 367). There is considerable 

 difference in the coloration also ; Botia rostrata. Giinther, has its 

 pectoral, ventral and anal fins conspicuously striped with brownish 

 cross-bands ; in the new species none of these fins are at all banded 

 or striped. 



Nemachilus macmahoni, sp. nov. 



Br. iii, D 1.8, P 10, V 8, A 1.6, C 19. 



Height of body 5I, length of head 41, length of caudal 8, the 

 distance of cloacal opening from the root of caudal 3^ in the total 

 length. 



Head rather broad and thick, height of head being 21 and its 

 breadth i^ in the length of head and the height of head being 

 i| in the breadth of head. 



Eyes small, being 9^ diameters in the length of head, 4 diame- 

 ters in the length of snout and about 31 diameters apart ; intra- 

 orbital space very slightly convex. 



Barbels. — 6 in all, with thick bases and slender tips; maxil- 

 lary pair reaching below hind edge of the orbit. The maxillary 

 barbels appear to come out of the corners of a groove that sur- 

 rounds the mouth. 



Fins. — The single spine of the dorsal as well as of the anal is 

 intimately joined with the first ray that follows, which, though 

 articulated, is not branched. There is a peculiar thickening behind 

 the dorsal fin which in appearance resembles the elongated adipose 

 dorsal fin of some of the Macrones. This fin-like structure is con- 

 tinuous behind with the skin fold of the caudal ; its length is 3^ in 

 the total length, and its height is contained 10 times and its thick- 

 ness 12 times in the length of the fin. The anterior root of the spinous 

 dorsal fin is in front of the middle point of the total length and 

 also of the anterior root of the ventral fin which is behind the 

 middle point of the total length. The length of the pectoral is 2f 

 in the distance between the bases of the pectoral and ventral fins. 

 The length of the ventral is exactly half the distance between the 

 bases of the ventral and anal fins, and the length of the anal fin is 



