igoy.] Records of the Indian Museum. 41 



a common species throughout India, was the most abundant. I 

 also took larvae of an Ephemerid and of at least two Chironomid 

 flies in December and January ; they sheltered themselves indiffer- 

 ently in the canals of Sponges or among the zooecia of Polyzoa. 

 During the winter months, at any rate, adult insects of a large 

 number of species are abundant in the ponds. Among the Hemi- 

 pterous genera represented the following may be mentioned : (sur- 

 face forms) Gerris, Hydrometra, Microvelia and Mesovelia ; (forms 

 which live below the surface) Laccotrephes , Nedocoris Anisops ; the 

 only common genus not so well represented in the ponds as in the 

 freshwater tanks of Calcutta being P/ea, with the possible addition 

 of Sphcerodema. Both these genera, however, very frequently rest 

 among the hanging roots of Pistia stratiotes {thQWdXtr Plantain), 

 which does not occur in the ponds at Port Canning. Most of the 

 aquatic Coleoptera collected were minute forms, and no Gyrinidse 

 were seen ; but a few common species of large size {e.g., Cy bister 

 convexus) were taken. Several small Tettigids (Orthoptera) were 

 observed swimming on the surface of the ponds- — a habit shared 

 by a large number of the members of this family ; and in March a 

 lycpidopterous larva (apparently a species of Nymphula) is common 

 on Naias, making a cylindrical case like that of a Caddis-worm. 



Fish. — Specimens of the following Fish were taken in the 

 ponds : — 



Symhranchus bengalensis (one young specimen). 

 Amblypharyngodon microlepis. 

 Macrones gulio. 

 Barbus chola. 



,, stigma. 

 Nuria danrica. 

 Haplochikis melanostigma. 



,, panchax. 



Gobius acutipennis. 



, , giuris. 



,, alcockii. 

 Apocryptes lanceolatus. 

 Ophiocephalus punctatus. 

 Anabas scandens. 

 Trichogaster jasciatus. 



There are also one or two minute Gobies, which, if they are 

 adult, represent new species. Mr. Hodgart, who collected for the 

 Museum at Port Canning, further reports Periophthalmus koelreuieri 

 and Boleophthalmus viridis from the ponds ; but although these 

 species are common on the shore of the estuary, I have not seen 

 them in any of the ponds. None of these fish can be called 

 essentially marine ; but most of them are commonly found in 

 brackish water in the neighbourhood of estuaries. Barbus chola is 

 usually found in fresh water, and so is Haplochilus panchax, 

 which in the ponds is less abundant than H. melanostigma ; I have 



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