INDIAN TEESHWATEE EISHES. 139 



The freshwater fishes, thus circumscribed, consist of: — 



(a) Hill-residents, whethier entirely or occasionally. 



(5) Pishes of the plains, some of which are migratory, extend- 

 ing their range over vast regions, whilst others are more locally 

 distributed, such as being confined to Cutch, or Western or South- 

 ern India including Ceylon, or restricted to the deltas of large 

 rivers. 



This investigation may, for convenience, be divided into : — 



I. The distribution of Acanthopterygii. 

 II. „ „ Anacanthini and Siluridae. 



III. „ „ Cyprinidae, Clupeidse, and their allies. 



Eestricting myself in this paper to the Acanthopterygian or 

 spiny-rayed Teleostean fishes, we find nine families which possess 

 true freshwater representatives in India. They are as foUows : — 



1. Peecid^. Genus 1. Ambassis^ Commerson. 



a. Presh waters throughout India, also in Malay archipelago. 

 I. Marine, both Malay archipelago and Africa. 



2. Nandidje. Grenus 1. Badis",'S[eekev. 



Presh waters of India (excluding Sind and Ceylon^) and 

 Burma. 

 Grenus 2, Nandus^, Cuv. & Yal. 



Presh waters of India to the Malay archipelago. 

 Grenus 3. Pristolepis \ Jerdon. 

 Malabar®, Burma, Siam, and Malay archipelago. 



^ This genus includes : — CA«««?a, pt., Ham. Buch. ; Hamiltonia,^\<r&mson; Bo- 

 goda, Paramhassis, and Psetidambassis, Bleeker. 



^ Includes Bedula, Gray. 



' The fishes of Ceylon have been so little worked out, that none of this family 

 have been as yet recorded from that island ; but such is by no means conclusive 

 evidence that they do not live there. I suspect Nandus marmoratus will be 

 found in the waters of the plains, and some species of Pristolepis in those of the 

 hills. Whilst writing this paper I discovered in the Indian Museum a collec- 

 tion of Ceylon fishes made by Dr. Kelaart, amongst which are several common to 

 the continent of India. 



* Includes Bedula, Gray. 



^ Includes: — Ca?foprfl, Bleeker ; Paranandtis, Day- 



® By Malabar 1 do not imderstand the districts so designated in Bloch's time ; 

 I only mean the western coast of India from below Mangalore. In former days 

 the lower portion of the Coromandel coast was so termed ; and even now the 

 natives of Madras designate those residing to the south as Malabars. 



