Chap. IV".] FEESH-WATER FISHES. 209 



sent home by Major Skinner in 1852, although spe- 

 cimens of well-known genera, Colonel Hamilton Smith 

 pronounced nearly the whole to be new and undescribed 

 species. 



Of eight of these, which were from the Mahawelh- 

 ganga, and caught in the vicinity of Kandy, five were 

 carps ^, of which two were Leucisci, and one a Masta- 

 cemblus, to which Col. H. Smith has given the name of 

 its discoverer, M. Skmneri^, one was an Ophicephalus, 

 and one a Poli/acanthus, with no serra3 on the gills. Six 

 were from the Kalany-ganga, close to Colombo, of which 

 two were Ilelastoma, in shape approaching the Chceto- 

 don ; two Ophicephali, one a Silurus, and one an Anabas, 

 but the gills were without denticulation. From the still 

 water of the lake, close to the walls of Colombo, there 

 were two species of Eleotris, one Silurus with barbels, 

 and twp Malacopten/gians, which appear to be Baqri 



In this collection, brought together without premedita- 

 tion, the natm-ahst will be struck by the preponderance 

 of those genera which are adapted by nature to endure a 

 temporary privation of moisture ; and this, taken in con- 

 nection with the vicissitudes affecting the waters they 

 inhabit, exhibits a surprising illustration of the wisdom of 

 the Creator in adapting the organisation of His creatures 

 to the pecuhar circumstances under which they are des- 

 tined to exist. 



So abundant are fish in all parts of the island, that 

 Knox says, not the running streams alone, but the reser- 

 voirs and ponds, " nay, every ditch and httle plash of 

 water but ankle deep hath fish in it." ^ But many of 



^ Of the fresh-water fishes belong- 

 iug to the family Cj'prinichie, there 

 are about eighteen species from Cey- 

 lon in the collection of the British 

 Museum. 



^ This fish bears the native name 

 of Thcliya in Major Skinner's list; 

 and is described by Colonel Hamilton 

 Smith as being " of the proportions 

 of an eel, beautifully mottled, with 

 eyes and spots of a lighter olive upon 

 a dark gi-een." This so nearly cor- 

 VOL. I. I 



responds with a fish of the same 

 name, TJidiija, which was brought to 

 Gronovius from Ceylon, and proved 

 to be identical with the Aral of the 

 Coronuxndel coast, that it nuxy be 

 doubtful whether it be not the in- 

 dividual already noted by Cuvier 

 as Rh}/Hcoh(k'lla occUata, Cuv. and 

 Val. viii. 44o. 



^ Knox's Historical lic/atiun of 

 Ceylon, Part i. ch. vii. The occur- 

 rence of fish in the most unlocked- 



