1921.] S. L. HORA : Fisli of Manipur. 207 



head to the vent. On the sides and the under surface of the head 

 there are short irregular bands forming a reticulum. There is a 

 short band between the eye and the base of the pectoral fin. The 

 pectoral is marked with a few dotted bands. 



The following short description may be given to facilitate the 

 identification of the species according to the synopsis of the species 

 of the genus given by Boulenger ' : — 



Snout scaly on the sides ; three anal spines ; caudal complete- 

 ly united with dorsal and anal ; vent considerably nearer caudal 

 than end of snout ; preorbital spines absent ; 3 preopercular spines 

 present ; dorsal fin with 37 spines; mouth extending to below nostrils 

 in adults while it does not extend so far in the younger specimen. 



By these characters the new species approaches M. erythmtae- 

 iiia, Blkr. and M. caudatits, McClell. From the former it differs 

 in having 3 instead of 4 preopercular spines and in having fewer 

 rays to the soft dorsal and the anal fins and also in colouration 

 and proportions ; from the latter in the fact that the mouth does 

 not extend to below the anterior third of the eye and the number 

 of rays both in the dorsal and the anal fins is not so great. 



Since his synopsis, Boulenger has described three new species 

 of the genus Mastacembelus, viz. M. moeruensis,^ M. slappersii and 

 M. viellandi.^ I have consulted the descriptions and do not find 

 any close affinity with the new species 



Type-specimen. — F 9990/1. Zoological Survey of India (Ind. 

 Mus.). 



Only two specimens of this species were obtained in Khurda 

 stream, near Thanga Id. 



Measurements in millimetres. 



A. B. 



Total length including caudal . . 440 129 



Depth of body . . . . • • 35 14 



Length of head excluding fleshy snout . . 64 21 



Diameter of eye . . . . . . 5"5 3 



Ivcngth of snout excluding fleshy portion. . iS-5 7^2 



Length of caudal . . . . . . 21 4 



Length of pectoral . . . . . . 19 6"7 



Family OPHIOCEPHALIDAE. 

 Ophiocephalus punctatus, Bloch. 



iSSg. Ophiocephalus pinictatus, Vinciguerra, op. cit., p. l86. 



Only one specimen of this species was obtained in a dirty 

 pool in thick jungk near Dimapur, Assam. 



' Boulenger, Joiirn. Acad. Nat. Set. Philadelphia (2) X\', pp. 197 — 203 

 (1912). 



2 Boulenger, Rev. Zool. Africaine, III, p. 446 (1913 — 14). 



3 Boulenger, Ann. Mag. .Sat. Hist. (S) Xl\'. p. 386 (1914;. 



