172 Freshwater Slutrks. I 'iiapt. xiii. 



of the same family (Siluridae), Mr. Welbome writes, in the 

 " Asian " of 30 March, 1880 :— 



" The Basa (Assamese) is to be found in all the Assam rivers 

 " towards the plains, bat I am inclined to think they do not ascend 

 " the hill streams — at least I have never caught them or seen any 

 " that have been taken so far up. They run up to about H lb., 

 " but the average run of them would be about ^ lb. They are out 

 " and out the finest fish for the table in the Province, and are, 

 " moreover, game to the backbone, hence well worth the attention 

 " of anglers. They will take either a minnow or fly freely, and 

 " for colour, orange ; wings and all. Size No. 6.* Fish for them 

 " wherever any water or small stream runs in the main river ; 

 " an enquiry, too, from any of the local fishermen will invariably 

 " be successful in determining their whereabouts. They spawn in 

 " April." 



The Puflah (Assamese Pabho) of the same writer is seemingly 

 another fish of the same family, viz : Callichrous bimacvlatus, or 

 C. pcibo, or both, but it is very uncertain ; so I will not quote his 

 letter, though he says, " capital sport " may be had with tins fish ; 

 but will refer my reader to the " Asian," 10th June, 1879. 



His Seetal, again, may be Dr. Day's Seetul, Assam. Notcpterws 

 chitala, and probably is. If I was certain I would give a drawing, 

 but the description is not sufficiently exact to justify my doing so. 

 His note is not long, so I will quote it, with the observation that 

 Dr. Day's Notoptcrus chitala, has a small mouth, and silvery sides, 

 and teeth that may have escaped notice from their being villiform 

 or file-like, and Dr. Hamilton Buchanan says of it : " The belly is 

 "uncommonly rich and well flavoured, but the back contains 

 "numerous small bones," etc. Dr. Day says it " attains at least 

 " 4 feet in length," and inhabits "the fresh waters of Sind, Lower 

 " Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Burma, and Siam to the Malay Arehi- 

 " pelago." 



"The Seetal is a very handsome fish ('Asian,' 2nd September, 

 "1879) somewhat resembling the English 'Bream' in shape, but 

 " being much longer in the body ; and instead of being a slimy beast 

 " like the Bream, its sides are of the most silvery whiteness. It attains a 



* From wlint sculi- tin- N'o. is quoted, nor of what sort it is, I know not. If 

 from Francis Francis' Limericks, it nnswers to my No. 2/0 ; if from Francis Francis' 

 Sui'ck bends, or Kirby's, the same No. "ill answer on my scale. 



