CYPBINID-E. COBITIDIN^I. 215 



Barbels 6 ; none on mandibles. Eyes pro- 

 minent. Spine suborbital. Dorsal 

 fin (10 rays) commences slightly 

 behind the ventrals ; caudal entire . . 3. SOMILEPTES. 



Barbels 8 or more ; 4 rostral, 2 maxillary, 

 the rest mandibular. Spine sub- 

 orbital. Dorsal h'n short, commenc- 

 ing nearly opposite the ventrals; 

 caudal entire or slightly emarginate. 

 Scales on the head 4. LEPIDOCEPHALIOHTHYS. 



Barbels 0; 1 rostral and 2 maxillary 

 pairs. Spine suborbital. Dorsal fin 

 short, in the last third of the body, 

 but before the anal; ventrals present. 5. ACANTHOPHTHALMUS. 



Barbels 8 ; 1 rostral, 2 maxillary, and 1 

 mandibular pairs. Spine suborbital. 

 Dorsal fin short (8 rays'), in the last 

 third of the body, but before the 

 anal ; no ventrals 6. APUA. 



Barbels 8, 2 being mandibular. Spine 

 suborbital. Dorsal fin long (30 rays), 

 commencing before the ventral .... 7. JEBDONIA. 



B. No erectile spine near the orbit. 



Barbels 6 ; 2 pairs rostral, 1 maxillary. 



Snout elongate. Eyes elevated. 



Dorsal fin of moderate length (13 



rays), above the ventrals; caudal 



forked 8. NEMACHILICHTHYS. 



Barbels ; 2 pairs rostral, 1 maxillary. 



Dorsal of moderate length or short 



(8 to 17 rays), commencing opposite 



the ventrals . . . . 9. NEMACHiLrs. 



1. Genus BOTIA, Gray. 



Syn. Hymenophysa and Schistura, McClelland ; Diacanthw, Swainson ; 

 Syncrossus, Blyth. 



Body oblong, compressed, with the dorsal profile more or less 

 elevated. Eye with a free, circular eyelid. Barbels six to eight ; 

 four on the snout united at their bases, two on the upper jaw ; 

 when there are eight the extra pair are on the mandibles. A bifid, 

 erectile, suborbital spine present. Dorsal fin commencing before 

 the root of the ventral ; caudal forked. No scales on the head. Air- 

 bladder in two divisions, the anterior partially enclosed in a bony 

 capsule, whilst the posterior portion is free in the abdominal cavity. 



Geographical Distribution. Found throughout the valley of the 

 Ganges, the Sind hills, the Himalayas, Assam, and Burma to the 

 Malay Archipelago. 



