BY THE REV. J. E. TENISON-WOODS. 15 



Archipelago. Its colors vary considerably. Old fish are greyish- 

 brown ; but young ones, a foot or so in length, are orange -scarlet, 

 with black bands. The scales are roughened in lines which along 

 the body are arched. 



Ophiocephalus punctatus, Bloch. Malay name Toman. It 

 does not attain to such a size as the last, has much coarser scales, 

 e specially about the head, where they are large and irregular. The 

 Europeans call it the black caboose. It prefers stagnant waters. 



Channa orientalis, Gronov. Malay name Ikan-aroam or Seam. 

 Perak River. 



ACANTHOPTERYGII LABYRINTHIBRANCHIL 



Fam. LABYRINTHICI. 



Osphromenus olfax, Commerson. This is the celebrated 

 Gourami, which is also known as the Ikan-kalu amongst the 

 Malays. Reputed amongst gourmets as one of the best flavoured 

 fishes of the East : of clumsy form, becoming as large as a turbot. 

 It is easily kept in captivity, and will live on fish, flesh, insects, 

 and certain flowers. Many of the rich Chinese Towkays in 

 Penang, Malacca, and Singapore keep these fishes in tanks, wells, 

 or large earthenware baths, and they are used on special occasions 

 at banquets. They become so tame as readily to come when 

 called by their feeder, and will rise to flies, beetles, but especially 

 the large red Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. When at Selangore with 

 Sir C. Clementi-Smith, the " Capt. China " sent the governor one 

 of these fishes in a large tank, so that it might not be killed until 

 just before cooking. This was a civility which we received also 

 in other places. The name is derived from oo-cpprjo-is, nostrils, and 

 Mvr), crescent, alluding to its peculiar smelling organs 

 or 6a-cf)p6fjievos, tracking by smell, which is again repeated in the 

 name olfax. It is distinguished by its broadly oval shape, short 

 dorsal fin, complicated labyrinthiform supra-branchial organ, and 

 the very elongated filamentous first ray of the ventral fins. 



Betta pugxax, Cantor. This is the " Pla Kat " or fighting- 

 fish of the Siamese, which is very common in all the fresh waters 



