INDIAN FRESHWATER FISHES. 143 



Sind, the entire plains of India (excluding the Malabar coast and Assam), 

 to Burma. 



3. A. BACULis, Ham. Buck. 



From the Punjab to Bengal, Orissa, and Burma. 



4. A. Thomassi, Day. 



Western coast of India, from South Canara, certainly as low as 

 Cochin. 



5. A. Dayi S Bleeher. 



Malabar coast of India, especially its more southern portions. 



The representatives of this genus in India are divisible into 

 three classes : — 



A. Marine. — 1. A. Commersonii, Cav. & Val., from the Eed 

 Sea and east coast of Africa, throughout the ludian Ocean. 2. 

 A. interrupta, Bleeker, from the Audamans to the Malaj archi- 

 pelago. 3. A. gymnocephalus ^, Lacep., from the east coast of 

 Africa, through the seas of India, to the Malay archipelago. 4. 

 A. nrotcenia^, Bleeker, from (? Eed Sea,) Seychelles and Anda- 

 mans to the Malay archipelago. 



Out of the foregoing 4 marine species, 3 appear to be common 

 to both the African and Malayan faunsc, and 1 to the Andamans 

 as well as to the Malay archipelago. 



B. Estuary. — This comprises species concerning which it is 

 very difiicult to decide whether they mostly prefer brackish water 

 or extend their range downwards to the sea or upwards into 

 the rivers. Thus we have A. nalua, H. B., which appears to fre- 

 quent the entire coast of India, the Andamans, and the Malay 

 archipelago. 



C. Freshwater. — There are 5 species at present recognized : 2 

 are generally distributed throughout Sind, India, and Burma, ex- 

 cluding the Malabar coast ; 1 appears to be absent from Sind 

 and Southern India, but is otherwise distributed as the other two 

 species. The remaining 2 species are found from Canara down 

 the western or Malabar coast of India. 



The deduction from the foregoing must be that South Canara 

 and Malabar possess distinct species of this genus from those 

 distributed elsewhere throughout Sind, India, and Burma 5 



^ Includes ?A. malabaricus, Jerdon. 



^ Includes : — A. Dussumieri, C. & V. ; Priopsis argyrozona, C. & V. ; Ambassis 

 Vachelli, Peters. 

 ^ Includes "iA. denficulata, Klunzinger. 



13* 



