54 Uccords of flic Indiiui Miiseniii. [Vol. XIV, 



always to be clearly distinguished as such, for they are perhaps more 

 often mere pale spaces in a dark reticulation. Young and adults agree 

 in colouration. The species is a small one ; no specimens lo)iger than 

 235 mm. were obtained. It is common in the Inle Lake, where it occurs 

 both at the edge and in the open parts, always among dense vegetation. 

 The fish is s'Ad to be " sweet " and is eaten by the different tribes 

 that live in the Southern Shan States. 



Mastacembelus oatesii, Boulenger. 

 (Plate I, fig. 2.) 



1893. Mastdcemhd Its oatesii, Bonlonger, op. cit., p. 199. 

 1012. Mastatemhelus ualrsii, id., op. 'cit., \)\). 198, 200. 



This is a larger species, commonly attaining a length of 1370 mm. 

 The dorsal spines can be retracted into fleshy sheaths and the praeoper- 

 cular spines are often completely concealed. Fully adult individuals 

 are of an almost uniform dark greenish colour, but in the young the 

 belly is pale and the sides bear a series of irregular dark, pale-spotted 

 bars (sometimes broken up into spots or blotches), while the sides of 

 the head are ornamented with alternate dark and pale horizontal lines 

 and bars. The caudal fin at this stage is black with a broad white 

 vertical bar ; the ventral fins are pale with a dark edge and the pectorals 

 are almost wholly pale. The difference in colouration between the 

 young of this species and M. caudiocellatus is illustrated in figs. 2 and 

 3, plate I. 



The Intha do not distinguish between the two species of the genus. 



Family OPHIOCEPHALIDAE. 

 Ophiocephalus striatus, Bloch. 



lS89. Ojihiocejihnla.s .striatus. Day, 073. cit., II, p. 363. 



1889. Ophiocephalus striatus, Vinciguerra, op. cit., p. 184, fig. 



This fish is by far the largest in the lake, attaining a weight of 10 

 lbs. or over. Together with Clarias hatrachus it has a pre-eminence in 

 favour among the Europeans of the district, but I am not sure that 

 the Intha themselves do not prefer the true Carp. 0. .striatus is caught 

 with hook and fine (the bait often being a small live Notopterus) and in 

 special traps made of reeds. It is often abundant in the local markets. 



The species has a wide distribution in Continental Asia extending 

 as far east as Eastern China and the Philippines. 



Ophiocephalus harcourt-butleri, sp. nov. 

 (Plate II, fig. 7 ; pi. IV, figs. 16, 17.) 



1). 28-38. A. 10-25. L. 1. 40-45. L. t. 14-15. 



A small species resembfing 0. gacJma, but distinguished by the 

 smaller scales on the head, the longer, narrower, less flattened head, etc. 



The total length is from 5 to 5| times the greatest depth, from 3|- 

 to 3| the length of the head and from 5-^- to 6 times the length of the 

 caudal fin. The length of the orbit is from ^V ^o y-V the total length 



