572 On the fresh-water Fishes of India. 



the case, and the first and only species that has been found by 

 any Indian naturalist, was discovered by Mr. Griffith in the 

 Bamean river, a stream that falls from the northern declivities 

 of Hindoo Koosh into the Oxus. The species appears to be 

 undescribed, and has been named Salrno Orientalis. We may 

 here mention a curious fact of an opposite nature from the one 

 just noticed, i. e. the existence of Silurus Glanis, (an European 

 species,) in the mountains on the eastern side of Assam. The 

 specimen found by Mr. Griffith is about six inches in length, 

 it is discoloured rather, and the fin membranes shrunk, from 

 having been preserved in spirit along with plants, but there 

 can be no doubt as to the identity of the species with that of 

 Europe. This species has been found in the north-western 

 parts of Asia, but we have never before heard of its existence 

 so close upon the borders of India ; and as the same fish has 

 been found in America and Africa, it will probably prove to 

 be one of the few animals that are nearly, if not quite univer- 

 sally distributed. 



In Mr. Griffith's collections from the Kasyah mountains, 

 there is one, or perhaps two, undescribed species of that 

 singular genus Platycara, and two undescribed genera of 

 Silurida of the sub-family Pimelodince ; namely, Glyptosternon 

 and Olyra. The former representing amongst Silurida, the 

 Platycara amongst the Cyprins, and the latter genus blend- 

 ing in a great measure the characters of Silurida, with those 

 of the Loaches. See Plates VI. VIII. and XXI. 



The light that these newly discovered forms, (which we 

 owe to the zeal and enterprize of Mr. Griffith,) is likely to 

 cast on the natural affinities and relation of groups, is most 

 important not only to Ichthyology, but every branch of 

 Natural History. They go far to supply perhaps the only 

 desiderata that were wanting to complete the several groups 

 to which they belong ; and whatever difference of opinion 

 there maybe upon other points, it will be allowed perhaps, that 

 there cannot be one law for fishes, another for birds, &c. 



