NOTES ON INDIAN ZOOLOGY. 589 



variety, in conjunction must be regarded as indicating a distinct 

 species. Perhaps the Rusas might be conveniently distributed into 

 three sections : — 



I. Those with brow antler and simple beam : Kalo Jarai, Hodgson. 

 II. Those with bifui-cated horns. The Rusas of Hamilton Smith. 



III. Those with slender horns and four-pronged beam, including the 

 animal above described. 



I am not aware of any native name for this deer. On this point 

 there is much confusion, which has added greatly to the difficulty of 

 discriminating Indian deer. The Saumur of the lower provinces is 

 called the Maha in the upper part of the Doab ; and these names 

 appear to be applied to more than one species. The Eusas of Nepaul are 

 called Jarai ; in Kimiaon, and the Jumna-Gangetic tract of the 

 Himalayahs, they are called Jiiraos, What is the Bai^a Singlia ? 

 Hamilton Smith says it is the C. Hippelaplius ; and Mr. Hodgson says 

 it is a splendid variety of the common stag, or C. Elaphus. Should 

 this notice reach the eye of Mr. Hodgson, I would suggest his recon- 

 sidering this opinion, or favouring Indian naturalists with his reasons 

 for thinking so. In the iipper part of the Doab, Bara Singha is applied 

 to any large deer by the natives, particularly to such as have any 

 remarkable development of the antler. Many sportsmen say it is a 

 deer with six branches on each horn ; but I have never met with any- 

 one Avho could specifically say what the deer was. It would be well 

 if the term Bara Singha were settled, and applied specially to some one 

 of the large deer. 



II. — Note on an Indian Species of Esox. 

 Esox (Belone) Hindostanicus (Falc). 



Malacopterygiens abdoininaux, Cuv. ; Gen. Esox. — Muzzle long and 

 attenuated, with a large gape ; upper jaw with its sides composed of the 

 intermaxillaries, which have a posterior pedicle, the maxillaries being 

 concealed under the tips and not entering into the composition of the 

 jaw ; teeth in both jaws, some of them long, jwinted, and distant, the 

 intervals occupied by a row of smaller teeth ; no teeth in the palate. 

 Lower jaw projecting beyond the upper; no adipose fin or l|az-billa3 ; 

 opercula and branchial openings large ; body and tail elongated, the 

 latter compressed at the sides; scales cycloidal, small, hard ; dorsal and 

 anal fins short ; one dorsal fin placed right above the anal. 



Suhgen. Belone, Cuv. — Dorsal fin with 16 rays, anal fin 18 rayed; 

 branchial membrane 14 rayed; caudal fin, with a nearly rectilineal 

 termination (no echancrure), 19 rayed ; head rather small ; lower jaw 

 extending beyond the upper, both being straight, and twice as long as 

 the head proper; body and tail cylindrical and serpentiform ; two 

 longitudinal ridges, with an intermediate ridge, and bounding furrows 

 along the back ; a mesial lateral line from the tail to the opercula, and 

 a longitudinal coronated line of scales on either side towards the belly. 

 Pectoral fins 9 rayed ; ventral fins 6 rayed. 



The muzzle long and needle-shaped; total length of body and 

 muzzle about 8^ inches ; diameter of the body half an inch ; _ the teeth 

 are of two sorts— one very long and needle-shaped, rather distant, the 

 other shorter and occupying the intervals ; eyes very large ; head flattened 



