44 Records of the Indian Museum. [A"OL. XlV, 



found. It does not grow more than 60 mm. in length. The male differs 

 from the female in colouration and also in the shape of the body (see 

 pi. II, figs. 1, la) ; as a rule, instead of being merely spotted or mottled, 

 it has on the sides a number of short black vertical bars, which sometimes 

 fuse together to form an irregular longitudinal bar. The bars are vari- 

 able both in number and in size. The male has, further, a small 

 cartilaginous pad immediately in front of the lowest quarter of the eye. 

 This fish also forms an ingredient of dried whitebait. It has only 

 been found in the Inle basin and on the He-Ho plain but lives both in 

 still and in running water, in ponds and slow streams as well as in the 

 lake, in which it seems to be most abundant in the central region. 

 We did not see it in fast-running water. 



Nemachilus brunneanus, sp. nov. 



(Plate II, fig. 2.) 

 B. 111. D. 12-13 (3-4/9-10). P. 10. V. 8, A. 8-0 (2-3/5-6). 



A small, slender species related to N. rupicola andiV. midtifasciatus^ 

 but differing from both in proportions, in the number of the fin rays 

 and in its very large eyes. 



Depth of body a little greater than the length of the head, a little less 

 than I the total length. Eye very large and prominent, a little narrower 

 than the interorbital space, nearly as long as the snout, occupying nearly 

 •^ the length of the head. Head naked, with 6 barbels, 2 rostral and 

 one maxillary on each side ; the outer rostal barbel not quite reaching 

 the anterior margin of the eye, about twice as long as the inner ; the 

 maxillary barbel the longest, but not much longer than the outer 

 rostral, extending backwards almost to the posterior margin of the eye. 

 Body entirely covered with small scales. Dorsal fin rather high ; 

 pectoral fins long, slender and falcate, longer than the head ; tail fin 

 deeply notched. 



Colouiation somewhat variable but not differing with sex ; the ground 

 colour of the head and body pale olivaceous ; the head mottled and 

 spotted with dark green or black ; a variable number of dark horizontal 

 bars on the sides of the body, sometimes narrow, sometimes fairly broad, 

 sometimes alternately complete and reaching half way down the side 

 from the back. Caudal and anal fins reddish in life ; all the fins white 

 in preserved specimens ; two or three dotted longitudinal lines on the 

 dorsal and the same number of V-shaped dotted lines on the caudal ; a 

 small black spot or blotch at the base of the dorsal in front and two 

 rather smaller black spots on each side of the caudal peduncle. 



The largest specimen in a large series is only 4-5 cm. long. 



Tyjje specimen. — No. F 9406/1, Zoological Survey of India {Ind. 

 Mus.). 



Distribution. — This little loach is abundant in the waters of the 

 Yawnghwe valley and seems to be equally at home in clear hill-streams, 



i See Vinciguerra, Ann. Mas. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova 2, IX (XXIX), pp. 336, 337 

 (1890). 



