Chap. IV.] FISHES OF CEYLON. 231 



known to increase their proportion in hot climates, appear in 

 wonderful variety of form and colour, and constitute not less 

 than one fifth of the whole of the species of Ceylon fish. In 

 Eussell's catalogue they form less than one fifth, in Cantor's less 

 than one sixth. 



Marine and other siluroid fishes, a group represented on the 

 continent of Europe, but doubtfully, if at all, in this country, 

 constitute one twentieth of the Ceylon fishes. In Russell's and 

 Cantor's lists they form about one thirtieth of the whole. 



The sharks and rays form about one seventh of our own fish 

 fauna. They constitute about one tenth or one eleventh of 

 Eussell and Cantor's lists, while among these Ceylon drawings I 

 find not more than twenty, or about one thirtieth of the whole, 

 which can be referred to this group of fishes. It must be ex- 

 tremely interesting to know whether this circumstance is owing 

 to accident, or to the local peculiarities of Colombo, or whether 

 the fauna of Ceylon really is deficient in such fishes. 



The like exceptional character is to be noticed in the propor- 

 tion of the tribe of flat fishes, or Pleuronectidce. Soles, turbots, 

 and the like, form nearly one twelfth of our own fishes. Both 

 Cantor and Eussell give the flat fishes as making one twenty- 

 second part of their collection, while in the whole 600 Ceylon 

 drawings I can find but five PleuronectidcB. 



When this great collection has been carefully studied, I 

 doubt not that many more interesting distributional facts will 

 be evolved. 



Since receiving this note from Professor Huxley, the drawings 

 in question have been submitted to Dr. Grray, of the British Mu- 

 seum, and that eminent naturalist, after a careful analysis, has 

 favoured me with the following memorandum of the fishes they 

 exhibit, numerically contrasting them with those of China and 

 Japan, so far as we are acquainted with the ichthyology of 

 those seas : — 



Cartilag^inea. 



China and 

 Ceylon Japan. 



Squall 12 ... 15 



Eaiaj 19 ... 20 



Sturioncs ... 1 



Ostinopteryg^ii. 



Plectognathi. 



tctraodontidse . . 10 . . .21 

 bulistidEe . . . 9 . . .19 



China and 

 Ceylon. Japan. 



Lophobranchii. 



syngnathidte . . 2 . . . 2 



pegasidffi ... ... 3 



Ctenobranchii. 



lophidce .... 1 ... 3 



Cyclopodi. 



echencidre . . . . , . 1 



cyclopteridfB . . . , . 1 



gobidaj . ... 7 ... 35 



Q 4 



