Oil the Systematic Position 0/ Cliaudhuria. 327 



XXX Vir. — TJie Systematic Position of the Burmese Fish 

 Chaudliurla. By N. Annandale, D.Sc, F.A.S. 13., Director, 

 and Sunder Lal Hora, D.Sc, Assistant Superintendent, 

 Zoological Survey of India. 



[In 1918* I described a minute eel-like fish from the Southern Shan 

 States wliich I called C/iandhuria caudata and reg-arded as a type of a 

 distinct family (Chaiulliiiriidtc) of primitive Apodes. Mr. Wliitehouse f 

 at the same time was kind enoug-li to prepare an account of the structure 

 of the tail, which in his opinion was that of a typical eel. Shortly 

 afterwards, Mr. Tate Regan wrote to me pointing- out that in certain 

 respects my description and figures indicated that Chaudhuria was vathev 

 related to Mastacembelus. He courteously invited me to re-examine 

 my material. This I was unable to do at the time, as I was just starting 

 for Eastern Persia on special war work. Mr. Tate Regan \, therefore, 

 published a note definitely assigning my genus to the Opisthomi. 



On a second visit to the lule Lake early in 1922, Dr. Sunder Lal IJora 

 auvl I obtained abundant fresh material of Chaudhuria. This we have 

 examined anatomically, comparing it in detail with specimens of 

 Mastaceinbelus. — N. A.] 



In order to discover the exact taxonomic position o£ 

 Chaudhuria we have paid special attention to the skull, the 

 pectoral girdle, the gross structure of the alimentary canal, 

 and the air-bladder. 



External characters. — We have nothing to add to or 

 change in the original description, except as regards the 

 existence of scales. These were said to be present and 

 described as minute and buried in the skin. Re-examination 

 of both old and new preparations convinces us that this was 

 an error. In certain regions there is a kind of reticulation 

 in the pigment, but no true scales appear to exist. 



Skull. — In dorsal view (fig. 1, A) the skull only differs 

 from i\\2it ,oi Mastacembelus in the relative proportions of 

 the" various ^ hones, in the great development of the otic 

 region, and in the fact that the occipital region is nearly 

 horizontal. The ethmoid is slightly expanded on either 

 side in front, and its lateral posterior region projects 

 strongly on either side in the form of an acute triangle. 

 The nasals are large and expanded. The frontal s are larg^e 

 and broad, with the orbital margin strongly sinuate, but witli 

 a greater part of the lateral outline straight and almost 

 parallel on the two sides. The central suture is slightly 

 sinuate in front, but not otherwise asymmetrical. Posteriorly 

 the two bones form a broad transverse suture on either side 



* Annandale, Rec. Ind. Mus. xiv. p. 40, pi. i. fig. 1 ; pi. iv. figs. 1-10 

 (1918). - ,: 



t Whitehouse, Rec. Ind. Mus. xiv. p. 65 (1918). 



X Regan, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (9) ili. p. 198 (1919). 



