MIGRA.TOBY FISHES OF ASIA. 201 



obtained a young Ophiocephalus gachua (an amphibious fish). I 

 wrapped it up in a wet pocket-handkerchief and carried it up an 

 ascent of 5000 feet, only moistening the handkerchief twice by the 

 way. In four hours I reached my destination ; and my companion 

 was none the worse for its journey. In Burma the fishermen are 

 practically acquainted with the fact that some fish, as these Ophio- 

 cephalidsB, are air-breathers. When they wish to fish some of 

 their ponds, they let out all the water they are able, when perhaps 

 the sole visible contents are five feet of slimy mud through which 

 their bamboo net (gymi) has been drawn. Though no fish are 

 now to be seen, they are well aware that many fine ones remain ; 

 so they take a large sail or mat and spread it over the mud. After 

 a time this is removed ; amphibious fishes are seen stupefied, and 

 so are easily captui'ed, their blood having become carbonized, due 

 to the impossibility of their obtaining access to the atmospheric 

 air for the purpose of respiration. 



The Anahas scandens, or Climbing Perch of India, and its smaller 

 relatives the Trichogasters, are kept four or five days alive by the 

 natives of Calcutta in earthen pots destitute of water, and from 

 which daily requirements are supplied, the remaining fish appear- 

 ing to be as lively as when first captured. The Osphromenus olfax 

 is reputed to be grown and fattened in similar pots by the residents 

 of Batavia, the water being occasionally changed. 



I think the foregoing instances are sufiicient to raise the pro- 

 bability that there may be two forms of respiration amongst 

 Asiatic freshwater fishes -.—first, by employing at the gills the air 

 contained in the water ; secondly, by respiring air direct. 



When my attention, in 1866, was first attracted to these phe- 

 nomena, I was not aware that Mr. Boake had published the pre- 

 vious year, in the Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Eoyal 

 Asiatic Society, a paper full of interesting facts proving that 

 certain fish in that island were, as he termed them, " air-breathers," 

 as distinguished from the usual " water-breathers." He records 

 how he found men and cattle moving about over rank grass 

 growing in a certain locality, beneath which were fish inhabiting 

 a fluid muddy substance as tliick as pea-soup. These fish rose 

 to the surface, their presence being detected by the emission of 

 bubbles of air. They, in fact, acted as Seals and other marine 

 Carnivora do in the Arctic regions when rising to breathe air at 

 their blow-holes in the ice. The sod covering the Ceylon tank or 

 muddy spot, as recorded by Mr. Boake, acted as efficiently to 

 prevent the fish obtaining atmospheric air as does the unbroken 



LINN. JOUUN. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. XIII. 18 



