14 COL. PLAYFAIR ON THE FISHES OF CACHAR. [Jau. 10, 



3. On the Fishes of Cachar. 

 By Lieut.-Colouel E. L. Playfair, F.Z.S. 



(Plate III.) 



I have received from Major Stewart, Superintendent of Cachar, a 

 small but interesting collection of the Fishes of that region. He 

 informs me that " they are from rivers, lakes, and ponds ;" but he 

 does not specify the particular specimens from each of these sources. 



Cachar is one of the most eastern provinces of British India, and 

 lies vpithin the watershed of the Burhampooter ; as might be ex- 

 pected, therefore, its fish-fauna is very similar to that of Assam. 

 The collection contains about thirty species, twenty-six of which I 

 have determined ; the remainder are Gtjprinidce, either too small 

 for correct identification or apparently new ; these I have made over 

 to Dr. Giinther, who is at present engaged on that family, which will 

 form part of the seventh volume of his ' Catalogue of Fishes.' 



1. Ambassis ranga. 



Chanda ranga, Buch. Ham. p. 113, pi. 16. f. 38. 



Ambassis ranga, Cuv. & Val. ii. p. 183 ; Giinth. Fish. i. p. 228. 



2. GOBIUS GIURIS. 



Russell, pis. 50, 51, 53. 



Gobius giuris, Buch. Ham. p. 51, pi. 33. f. 15 ; Giinth. Fish. iii. 

 p. 21. 



3. Nandus marmoratus. 



Coins nandus, Buch. Ham. p. 9(), pi. 30. f. 32. 

 Nandus marmoratus, Giinth. Fish. iii. p. 36/. 



4. Ophiocephalus punctatus. 



Ophiocephalus punctatus, Bl. Schn. p. 237; Cuv. &Val. vii. p.40i; 

 Giinth. Fish. iii. p. 469. 



O. lata, Buch. Ham. pp. 63, 367, t. 34. f. 18. 



O. indicus, M'Clell. Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 583. 



5. Ophiocephalus stev^'artii, sp. n. (PI. III.) 



D. 39-40. A. 27. L. lat. 50. L. transv. 5/9. 



Shields on the upper surface of the head large. Some larger teeth 

 in the lower jaw, and on the vomer and palatine bones. The height 

 of the body is contained six times and two-thirds, and the length of 

 the head four times in the total length. Scales on the cheeks very 

 large, there being only seven in a longitudinal series between the eye 

 and the gill-opening.' The maxillary reaches beyond the vertical 

 from the posterior margin of the orbit. The length of the snout is 

 one-fifth, the width of the interorbital space is one-third, and the 

 breadth of the head is three-fifths of the length of the head. The 

 pectoral does not reach the anal, and is somewhat more than half 



