GILL ON THE GOURAML 711 



are acknowledgments dne to the articles cited in the foot-note ;* to 

 Colonel Nicolas Pike, onr late very efficient consul to Mauritius, to whom 

 the Smithsonian Institution is indebted for many specimens ; and to ex- 

 tracts from an article of Mr. Clarke. 



NAME. 



Osphromenus gorami/ is the true and first-published scientific name 

 given to the celebrated gourami, and was conferred by Lacep6de, who 

 accepted a manuscript-name devised by Commerson for the genus, and 

 proposed a modification of the best-known vernacular name for the spe- 

 cies. Osphromenus olfax, a name suggested in the manuscript of Com- 

 merson, was published by Lac6pede as a synonym. The name Osphro- 

 menus was bestowed by Commerson by reason of an erroneous idea 

 which he entertained, (that the labyrinthiform apparatus w^as an 

 adaptation for smelling,) and was derived from the Greek o(T<fporj.a:, 

 to smell. Commerson's idea arose from his perception of some analogy 

 in appearance between the labyrinthiform apparatus and the ethmoid 

 bone of man. 



FORM, ETC. 



The gourami has an oblong-oval form. The snout is produced, and 

 the forehead in front of the eyes concave but behind convex, and it be- 

 comes more and more so with advancing age, (as will be noticed b^' com- 

 parison of figures of young and oldlUere given). The lateral line is con- 

 tinuous from the shouhler to the base of the caudal fin. The dorsal fin 

 is considerably smaller than the anal 5 the former commencing far behind 

 the head, ending some distance in advance of the caudal, and furnished 

 with eleven to thirteen spines, and eleven or twelve articulated rays ; 

 the anal commencing near the base of the ventral, extending to and 

 connected with the base of the caudal fin, and supplied with nine to 



* EuFZ DE Lavison. Sitr qaelques ientalives d'accUmatation cht. gourami {Osphromenug 

 olfax) dang divers xoars. <^Bulletiii Soc. Imp. Zool. d'Acclim- (Paris), viii, 1861, pp. 392- 

 403. 



VixsON (Dr. Auguste). De Vacclimatation du gourami a Vile de la Eeunion, et des 

 moyens d^acclimater ce poissonen Algerie et dans le midi de la France, <^Bul]etin Soc. Imp. 

 Zool. d'Acclim. (Paris), viii, 1861, pp. 509-514, .541-546. 



Barthelemy-Lapommeeaye. Nouvelle tentative d' introduction du gourami d'ile Mau- 

 rice en France, entreprise par M. Lienard. <^Balletin Soc. Imp. Zool. d'Acclira. (Paris), x, 

 J863, pp. 739-740. 



CosTE. Instruction pour le transport des gonramis. < Bulletin Soc. Imp. Zool. d'Acclim. 

 (Paris), 2^ serie, ii, 1865, pp. 76-80. 



Bartkelemy-Lapommkraye. Sur Vintroduction recente du gourami en France, et in- 

 structions a cet sujet. Lettre adressee a M. le president de la Sociele Imperiale d'Acclimata- 

 tion. < Bulletin Soc. Imp. Zool. d'Acclim. (Paris), 2« serie, ii, 1805, pp. 195-203. 



Dabry (P. Tliiersaut). Note sur le transport des gouramis. < Bulletin Soc. Imp. Zool. 

 d'Acclim. (Paris), 2« serie, v, 1868, pp. 591-.592. 



Ristoire naturelle du gourami. < Bulletin Soc. Imp. Zool. d'Acclim. (Paris), 2^ 



s<Srie. viii, 870, pp< 671-088. 



