518 FISHES. 



tropical countries, and specimens kept in captivity become as 

 tame as carps. It attains the size of a large turbot. A second, 

 but much smaller, species of this genus, 0. trichopterus, is 

 frequently kept in vessels on account of the exquisite beauty 

 of its varying iridescent metallic tints ; like other fishes of 

 this family it is very pugnacious. 



Trichogaster, a very common Bengalese fish, differs from 

 Ospliromenus in having the ventral fins reduced to a single 

 long filament. 



Betta. — ^Body compressed, oblong ; operculum without spine 

 or serrature. Small fixed teeth in the jaws, none on the palate. 

 Dorsal fin short, on the middle of the back, without any pungent 

 spine ; anal fin long. Ventral fin with five soft rays, the outer 

 one being produced. Lateral line interrupted or absent. 



A species of this genus {B. pmgnax) is, on account of its 

 pugnacious habits, reared by the Siamese. Cantor gives the 

 following account: — "When the fish is in a state of quiet, 

 its dull colours present nothing remarkable ; but if two be 

 brought together, or if one sees its own image in a looking- 

 glass, the little creature becomes suddenly excited, the raised 

 fins and the whole body shine with metallic colours of dazzling 

 beauty, while the projected gill membrane, waving like a black 

 frill round the throat, adds something of grotesqueness to the 

 general appearance. In this state it makes repeated darts at 

 its real or reflected antagonist. But both, when taken out of 

 each other's sight, instantly become quiet. This description 

 was drawn up in 1840, at Singapore, by a gentleman who had 

 been presented with several by the King of Siam. They were 

 kept in glasses of water, fed with larvas of mosquitoes, and 

 had thus lived for many months. The Siamese are as in- 

 fatuated with the combats of these fish as the Malays are 

 with their cock-fights; and stake on the issue considerable 

 sums, and sometimes their own persons and families. The 

 license to exhibit fish-fights is farmed, and brings a con- 



