

204 TELEOSTEI. PIIYSOSTOMI. 



inferior ; besides the occipital and humero-cubital processes there is 

 a strong scapular one, none of the processes are covered by skin. 

 Gill-openings narrow, the membranes being confluent with the 

 skin of the isthmus. Eyes small, without a free orbital edge. 

 Nostrils close together, separated by a small barbel. Barbels 

 eight, the maxillary with broad bases. Villiform teeth in the jaws ; 

 palate edentulous. First dorsal fin arising slightly in front of the 

 ventrals, having a serrated spine and- five or six branched rays : 

 adipose dorsal present. Ventral with six rays. Pectoral with a 

 serrated spine. Air-bladder not enclosed in bone. 



Geographical Distribution. From the Mahanadi river in the 

 West to the Salween in British Burma. This genus extends inland 

 to the Mor river at Beerbhoom in Bengal, to Assam (where in the 

 Brahmaputra and waters in its vicinity the finest specimens are 

 procured), and also as high as Mandalay in Upper Burma. It has 

 been reported from Chusan by McClelland. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



Blunt spiny ossicles in the skin. Serrations on 



outer edge of pectoral spine, directed alter- 

 nately forwards and backwards. No elongate 



caudal ray 1. E. ham, p. 204. 



Skin tuberculate. Serrations on outer edge of 



pectoral spine directed backwards. Upper 



caudal ray elongate 2. E. conta, p. 205. 



Skin smooth. Serrations on outer edge of pectoral 



spine directed b.ickwards. Spine elongated. 



No prolonged caudal ray 3. E.jerdoni, p. 200. 



Skin tuberculate. Head 6| in the total length. 



Dorsal spine serrated on both edges. Both 



caudal lobes elongated 4. E. elongatns, p. 207. 



218. (1.) Erethistes hara. (Fig. 74.) 



Pimelodus Lara, Ham. Such. Fish. Ganges, pp. 190, 378. 



Erethistes hara, Day, Fish. India, p. 452, pi. cii, fig 1 (adult), fig. 2 



(half-grown) (see synon.). 

 Nga-kyouk-pah, Burmese. 



D. 1/6 \ 0. P. 1/6. V. 6. A. 10-11 (3/7-8). C. 15. 



Length of head 4 to 4|, of caudal 5, height of body 4| to 5 in 

 the total length. Eyes diameter about 10 in the length of head, 

 situated in the commencement of the hind half of the head, 3 

 diameters apart. The greatest width of the head equals its length, 

 and one third or a fourth more than its height. Upper jaw 

 slightly the longer, the width of the mouth equal to oue third of 

 the length of the head. A semilunar subcutaneous bone surrounds 

 the anterior and lower margins of the nasal orifices, which are close 

 together but divided by a barbel. Median longitudinal groove on 

 the head shallow and reaching to opposite the hind edge of the eye 

 Occipital process from twice in the adult to about three times in 



