CHAP. in. Varieties of Mahseer. 27 



the snout. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout, it reaches 

 the ventral which is little shorter. Anal laid flat does not reach the base 

 of the caudal which is deeply forked. Lateral line complete, 2 to 2| rows 

 of scales between it and the base of the ventral fin : 9 rows before the dorsal. 

 Free portion of the tail longer than high. Colours silvery or greenish 

 along the upper half of the body, becoming silvery shot with gold on the 

 sides and beneath. Lower fins reddish yellow. 



This fish is the celebrated " Maha seer " of sportsmen in India. The 

 various large barbels in Assam are termed Petiah, with a specific name 

 prefixed to denote the species alluded to. 



Barbus macrocephalus, McClelland, from along the Eastern Himalayas 

 and Upper Assam, has not the length of the head, " f ths only of the total 

 (without the caudal) " (Gunther) ; but without the head or caudal, or yths 

 of the total excluding the caudal fin. It has rather a longer head (4^ in 

 the total) than is usual, its eye is nearer the front end of the head, whilst 

 the upper bone of the suborbital ring is very wide. 



Barbus tor, H. B., or progenius, McClell., shows great variation in the 

 length of the head, which seems to augment in proportion with the size of 

 the fish ; the body is often much higher, whilst the lips are very much 

 more developed than in the last variety. 



Habitat. Generally throughout India, but in the largest size, and 

 greatest abundance in mountain streams, or those which are rocky. 



I think I need hardly apologize for burdening my page with so 

 much scientific detail, for many an angler is conversant with and 

 interested in it. One such was learning the first rudiments from me, 

 over a freshly-landed new fish, when up came a friend of his with a 

 cheery : " Well, what sport ? " Thereon my angler, who five minutes 

 before had not known one of these long words, drew himself up with 

 assumed dignity, and, always ready with his fun, sententiously replied 

 suppressively : " We were not fishing er but er studying er 

 mandibular cirrhi, opercles, pre-opercles, branchiostegals, osseous entire 

 rays and so forth. I am sorry to be talking a little above you, you 

 know ! " When he reads this I fully expect he will say, as another friend 

 did, " Yes, I bought your book, and I found the best joke in it was 

 my own ! " 



Further experience has confirmed me in the view advanced in 1873, 

 that there are more Mahseers than have been named, and that if it were 

 possible that as much accurate attention could be given to the Mahseer 

 as has been devoted to the Salmonidae of Great Britain, of Europe, and 

 of America, it would be found that the Mahseers of India would like- 

 wise grow in numbers. No one who has not tried it can form any idea 



