21 



half of the head, about 2.7 in snout, 3 in interorbital space. 

 Barbels shorter than eye. Origin of dorsal nearer to snout than 

 to caudal/ Anal small, far back, behind middle between tip 

 of ventrals and origin of caudal, its origin opposite to about 7O th 

 scale of lateral line. Pectorals not reaching ventrals. Ventrals 

 reaching anus. Caudal deeply emarginate, inferior lobe the longer, 

 much longer than head. Lower surface naked, scaly only behind 

 ventrals. Dark brown, yellowish below, as also the fins. Length 

 88 mm. [Types of H. microstoma Blgr. in the British Museum 

 and of P. obscura Vaill. in the Leyden Museum seen by us]. 

 Habitat: Borneo (Upper Mahakam !, river Bluu ! and Akar 

 river, Sarawak !). 



2. Fam. COBITIDAE. 



Head and body compressed, exceptionally the anterior part 

 of head depressed. Pectorals and ventrals not horizontally 

 inserted, only one of their outer rays simple. A simple or bifid 

 movable spine, arising from lateral ethmoid, may be present 

 before or below eye. Eyes with a free orbital margin or covered 

 by skin. Dorsal short or long, its origin before, above or behind 

 that of ventrals; anal short, generally behind dorsal. Mouth 

 inferior, its upper border formed by the intermaxillaries only. 

 Six, eight or more barbels ; always one or two pairs of rostral 

 ones and one or two pairs of maxillary ones; there may be 

 a pair of nasal or of mandibulary barbels. Scales small, minute 

 or rudimentary. Lateral line incomplete or absent. Gillmem- 

 branes broadly united with isthmus. Gillopenings small or moder- 

 ate, vertical or subvertical. No pseudobranchiae. Pharyngeal 

 teeth in a single series, in moderate number. Anterior part of 

 airbladder enclosed in a bony capsule, posterior part small or 

 vestigial. 



Distribution: Europe, Abyssinia, Asia, western part of 

 indo-australian Archipelago, mostly in mountain streams. 



Key to the genera of indo-australian Cobitidae. 



I. A movable prae- or suborbital spine. 



I. Origin of dorsal before that of ventrals. 



a. Spine below eye; eyes with a free orbital 



margin Botia p. 22. 



b. Spine before eye; eyes covered by skin. . . Acanthopsis p. 24. 



