( Ifi ) 



rains. These liard-raj'^ed lislics, wliicli arc taken in the fresh- 

 waters, naostly belong to tlic foUoAving 18 genera, some of 

 Avhicli are marine, otlicrs not so: — 1, Lates ; 2, Ainhassis ; 

 3, Corvina ; 4, Miujil ; 6, Equula ; G, Gohitis ; 7, Euctenofjo. 

 bins ; 8, Veriophtlialmus ; 9, Eleoti'is ; 10, Badis ; 11 , Nandns ; 

 12, Ciitopra; 13, Anabas ; 1 L, Futi/acanthns ; 15, Tricho- 

 ganter ; 10, Ophiocephalus ; 17, Rhynchobdella ; 18, Mastit- 

 ceinbliis. 



XXVIII. The foregoing 18 genera are divisible into iwo 



Divisible into purely f.csh- distinct claSSCS : fivst, tllOSB wllicll 



wutuiuiui Initially m;uiiiefoiiu8. entirely belong to the fresh-Avaters 

 (although some of the species of the same genus may have 

 marine reprcsentatiA'cs) ; s<?coHf%, tlioscAvhich are marine, and 

 only ascend rivers for predaecous or breeding purposes. Of 

 the true fresli-Avater ones (2, as Ambassis Thomassl ; 4, as 

 Mitg'tl cascacia ; G, as Gohiits giitris ; 7, as Euctenoyobhis 

 slriatns ; 8, as Pei'iophthalnias Sclilosseri ; 9, as Eleotris 

 nigra; 10, as Badis dar-io ; 11, as Nandiis margiuatus ; 12, as 

 Caiopra nandioidcs ; 13, as Anabas scandens ; li; as JPoli/a- 

 canlhus ctipamis ; 15, as Trichogastev fasciatus ; 16, as 

 Ophiocephalus gachtta ; 17, as Bhgiichobdella aculeala ; and 

 18, as Mastacembliis avmatiis) — some of these are monoga- 

 mutts, as Nos. 13, 11,15 and IG, and probably also Nos. G and 

 7, all of Avhicli appear peculiarly adapted for tanks and Jhils, 

 as they live in the gra^s along their edges, where the larger 

 varieties lie in Avait for frogs or other animals on Avliich they 

 prey. Whilst the first four named genera being air-brcathcrs 

 (see para. XLIII) they have only to raise their mouths out of 

 the Avater and take in their modicum of air. Others of these 

 fresh-Avater genera are apparently puli/ganions, as Nos. 2, 10, 

 11, 12, 17 and 18. Of those genera Avhich possess marine repre- 

 sentatives, some of Avhieh breed in the sea, Avldlst others ascend 

 rivers for this purpose, ar(; Nos. 4, 5, G, 7, 8 and 9. J3ut some of 

 these genera placed as poiygamous, as tlie gobies, may even- 

 tually prove to be monogamous. Of the whole of these 

 Acanthopterygians but fi'W are generally distributed through 

 the inland tanks far from the sea level or beds of large rivers ; 

 these exceptions arc the little Ambassis ; a gobj^, Gobius giuris ; 

 the small Badis and percoid Nuudiis ; the walking fishes, 

 OpihiocepJicthts, and the spined eels, namely, the BJnjitcitubdella 

 and Mastdcemblus. Of the second or marine division of this 

 order of fishes, some (1, as Bates calcarifer ; 3, as Corvina 

 coitor ; and 5, as Equula^) are marine, ascending rivers at 

 certain seasons, as in the rains, in order to olJtain food. 



