XXIX.-NATURAL AND ECONOMICAL HISTORY OF THE GOURAMI/ 



By Theodore Gill. 



OSPHROMEXUS GORAMY. 



Synonymy. 

 Ospliroiueuus goramy, Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., Ill, 117, pi. 3, fig. 2, 1802 j Gill, Am. 



Sportsman, IV, 66, 369, 1874. 

 Tricliopus goramy, Shaw, Gen. Zool., IV, 388, pi. 55, 1803. 

 Osphromenus olfax, Comm. in Lace'pede Hist. Nat. Poiss., Ill, 117, 1802 ; Hardtcicke, Zool, 



Journ., IV, 309, pi. 36 ; Cm. cf Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss.,VII, 377, pi. 198, 1831 ; Bicli, Brit. 



Ass. Eej). (Ich. China and Japan), 1846, 251 ; Bleekcr, Vissoh. Doolb. Kieuw., (Ver-. 



hand. Batav. Genootschap, XXIII, p.) 10,1850; Cantor, Cat. Malayan Fishes, 88, 



1850 ; Yal., Regue An., par Cuv., ^d. par discij)Ies, Poissons, pi. 73, figs. 1, 3 ; Gilnther, 



Cat.Acanth. Fishes B. M., Ill, 382, 1861 ; and various auihors, Bull. Soc. Zool. d'Acclim., 



infra cit., 1860-74 ; Zool. Garten, etc. 

 Trichopodus meutum, Lacepkle, Hist. Nat. Poiss., Ill, 12.5, pi. 3, fig. 2, 1802. (Based on 



a bad figure by M. Cer6.) 

 Trichopus satyrus, Shaw, Gen. Zool., IV, 391, pi. 35, 1803. (A substitute for Tricho- 



jyodiis mentum.) 

 Osphromenus satyrus, Bleelcer, Vissch. Poolh. Kieuw. (Verhand. Batav. Genootschap, 



XXIII), 10, 1850. 

 Osjihromenus notatus, Kuhl <^- Van Hassalt, in Cuv. tf- Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss., VII, 386, 



1831. 

 Osphromenus vittatus, Knhl c^- Van Hassali, in Cuv. if Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss., VII, 387, 



1831. 

 The preceding are only the more important references to the species ; others will be 

 found in the foot-notes and in the subsequent test. 



A— Is^ATURAL HISTOEY. 



PREFATORY. 



The great interest which has been excited by tlie gourami, and the 

 uiimerons attempts to acclimatize or introduce it into distant countries 

 will doubtless render welcome a somewhat elaborate article on the spe- 

 cies, and a practical application of the lessons of experience in connec- 

 tion with it. 



The literature on the fish is very voluminous, and numerous articles 

 have been written upoil it ; in the Bulletin de la Societe Imperiale 

 Zoologique d'Acclimatation alone, there are about one hundred references 

 in the indices to articles and notices in the various volumes. These and 

 ,many other papers have been consulted, and our readers are furnished 

 with the results of experiments and observations to date. Especially 



* This article is reprinted, with slight modifications by the author, from " lire Ameri- 

 can Sportsman," for September 12, 1874, (A.) and October 31, 1874, (B,) by permission 

 of the editor and proprietor (W. F. Parker, esq.) of that pai>er. — S. F. Baird. 



