286 Records of the Indian Museum. EVOL. Say 
darkly pigmented, but no pigment was present in the eye. The circulation of the 
blood is active, and the embryo can change its position within the egg membrane. 
The surface of the egg appeared minutely rugulose. The length of 
the egg, without the short stalk, is 2mm., the width 1mm., slightly narrower at 
the free end. Within 24 hours after finding the nest one of the eggs hatched out, 
the top of the egg membrane lifting up like a lid; there 1s still no pigment in the 
eyes, and no mouth; length 5mm. On the second day after hatching pigment 
begins to appear in the eyes, and on the third day, when the larva is 6mm. long, 
the mouth opens and respiratory movements commence; foreign particles were 
noted adhering to what looked like a cement organ at the front of the head. The 
eggs of Koraliya are very difficult to rear when removed from their proper habitat. 
On May 23, and again on June 1, more eggs were found attached to cocoanut 
husks, branches, and stones at Hunupitiya, ;Colombo. . . . . . On October 
28, 1909, another series of Koraliya eggs containing formed embryos 
wasfound . . . . attached to the. outer surface of a short length of water- 
logged bamboo stem. ‘his species is therefore a perennial spawner. 
According to Thomas! E. suratensis breeds twice in the year 
in S. Canara, in May and June and again in December and 
January. In Madras the specimens in the Red Hills tank build 
their nests in the open canal in which water is brought to the 
city, during April and May. 
Of the later changes which the fry undergo in growth nothing 
is known, except that ‘‘ very young fish have a large black ocellus 
surrounded by a white margin extending from the fourth to the 
tenth soft ray of the dorsal fin.’’ ? 
Uses.—E. suratensis attains a large size, more than a foot in 
length, andis a highly esteemed food fish. Its non-predaceous and 
vegetarian habits make it a very suitable fish for stocking tanks. 
Eleotris fusca (Bl. and Schn.). 
Tamil—M ussoorie (Day), in Madras Kul Uluvay. 
Habitat and Habits.—E. fusca is common in fresh and 
brackish waters, occurring in ponds, ditches, rivers, and more 
abundantly in the backwater. 
It is apparently nocturnal in habits. During the day it is 
vety slow in its movements, ‘‘ concealing under stones and among 
weeds, and remaining for hours motionless.”? In an aquarium 
it becomes very active by night and frequently jumps out of the 
vessel if uncovered ; and as Jerdon has observed ‘‘ it is very fond 
of fixing itself vertically to the side of a tub or vase (in which 
it may be confined) with its head downwards.” Experiments 
with a specimen in confinement tend to show that the sense of 
sight in this species is very poor, at least by day. It is said that 
black fish appear pale white in colour at night; and according to 
Jerdon ‘it has the faculty of changing its colour, at times becom- 
ing nearly black, at other times marbled; and usually with a 
strong line of demarcation between the tint of the back and sides.’ 
It is tenacious of life and lives a fairly long time out of water. 
It is carnivorous and a bottom-feeder. 

| Rep. Pisc. S. Canara, p. 73 (1870). 2 Day, Fishes of Malabar, p. 162. 
3 Jerdon, Madras Fourn. Lit. Sci., XV, p. 149. 
