1918.] N. Annandale: Fl.^Jt of the InU Lal-e. 45 



in muddy rivers and among the weed-thickets of the Inle Lake, in which 

 it occurs both in the central region and in the marginal zone. It is an 

 important ingredient in the dried whitebait sold in the local markets. 



The species is named after Mr. C. E. Browne, I.S.O., Political Adviser, 

 Yawnghwe, to whom we are indebted for much assistance on our 

 tour. 



Discognathus lamta (Ham. Buch.). 



1889. Discognathus hnntd, Vinciguerra, op. cit., pp. 275, 279 (fig.). 



1913. Discognathus lamta, Annandale, Journ. As. Sac. Bengal (n. s.) IX, p. 36, fig. 1. 



Specimens from the Inle Lake belong to the true D. lamta, as do also 

 some from He-Ho. One individual, however, from the latter locality 

 represents a distinct and apparently undescribed species. As great 

 confusion exists in reference to the species and races of the genus, and 

 as most of the sjDecimens belonging to the collection of the Indian Museum 

 are interned at present in Hungary, I refrain from describing the new 

 form. 



I have already alluded to the post-climbing propensities of D. lamta. 

 To understand them it is necessary to realize that houses are often 

 built by the Intha on posts standing in water as much as ten or twelve 

 feet deep. We lived for some time in a house of the kind more than a 

 mile from shore in the Inle Lake, and it was possible to watch the ascent 

 of the house-posts by the fish, which was usually seen in the first 

 instance svv'imming out from a thicket of weeds. It then settled, with 

 its head pointing upwards, low down on one of the house-posts and 

 began to move up it slowly, browsing as it did so on the small algae and 

 polyzoa {Hislopia lacustris) with which the posts were covered. The 

 sucker-like structure of the lips enabled it to retain a fairly tight hold 

 on the post while it remained still ; its ascent was eiTected by gentle 

 and almost imperceptible movements of the tail. When it approached 

 the surface of the water it usually moved away either to another post or 

 into the thicket, but sometimes it turned round and went downwards 

 on the original post, and in the course of its ascent it frequently 

 circumvented the post in a spiral course. The Intha are well aware of 

 this habit and have coined a name for the fish accordingly, but the 

 Danu who live on the He-Ho plain, and do not build their houses in 

 water, have apparently noticed the same habit in respect to rocks. 

 They do not distinguish between D. lamta and the other species that 

 occurs with it. 



D. lamta is extremely difficult to catch. It is very rapid in its move- 

 ments when disturbed and wary even when engaged in climbing. It, 

 therefore, has no economic importance in the presence of other species 

 of equal and larger size that are less active and cunning. 



The species was described originally from northern Bengal and it 

 certainly occurs, alone or with closely allied species, over the greater 

 part of north-eastern and Peninsular India. Vinciguerra records it 

 from several locahties in Upper Burma. It is, however, impossible at 

 present to state the precise geographical range of any form of the 

 genus. 



