482 PHTSOSTOMI. 



Chaca huolidunani, Giintlier, Catal. v, p. 29. 

 Goor-eur-riah, Ooriah; PSmd, Bhagulpur, (Ham. Buch.). 



B. vi, D. 1/3-4 I 19-25, P. 1/5, V. 6, A. 8-10 | 8-12, C. 11. 



Length of head 3, of caudal 6 to 8, height of body 6 in the total length. Byes — small, in the anterior 

 fourth of the head, the width of the interorbital space equals half the length of the head, and along it runs a 

 deep central groove. Head strongly depressed, its width equals its length behind the angle of the mouth. 

 Mouth very wide. Head and body in specimens from India having short tentacles and a ring of them round 

 the eyes, and several along the edge of the lower jaw, such were not present in a specimen 1 captured iu the 

 Irrawaddi. Fins — Dorsal spines slightly serrated on both sides, pectoral spine serrated iutemally. A few 

 tentacles along the lateral-line. Colours — brownish, marbled with darker. 



In the British Museum Catalogue is " a. Adult : stuffed. Nepal. Presented by B. H. Hodgson, Esq." 

 This locality I think rather doubtful, especially as the sea and estuary Therwpon ja/rbua, Forskal, or T. servus, 

 Bloch, is said to have been received " half -grown : stuffed (Nepal. ?) Presented by B. H. Hodgson, Esq." 

 Labels so often become misplaced in Museums or in transit, that without further evidence I am doubtful if this 

 fish can be admitted into the Nepal Fauna. I once examined some of Schlagintweit's specimens in a Museum, 

 and found an Exoewtus labelled as from Cashmere ! 



Ham. Buchanan observes " of all the horrid animals of this tribe the ChaJea of this district is the most 

 disagreeable to behold. It has the habit of the fishes called by Lacepede Uranoscope and GoUe, that is, it 

 conceals itself among the mud from which, by its lurid appearance, and a number of loose filamentous substances 

 on its skin, it is scarcely distinguishable, and with an immense open mouth it is ready to seize any small prey 

 that is passing along. In order that it may see what is approaching, the eyes are placed on the crown of the 

 head. All persons turn away from it vnth loathing." 



Hahitat — Brahmaputra, Ganges, and Irrawaddi rivers, also tanks in connection vnth them ; there is a 

 specimen in the Calcutta Museum 5 inches long, said to have come from the " Bay of Bengal." It attains at 

 least 8 inches in length. The one figured (life-size) was from Debrooghur in Assam, taken in February, 1874. 



Genus, 16 — Plotosus, Lacepede. 

 PlatystaeJms, Bloch ; Gopidoglands, Gunther. 



BrancUostegals nine to twelve. Qill-openimgs wide, the membrcme not being confluent with the sMn of the 

 isthmus, and separated iy a deep notch. Head depressed covered with thin skin : gape of mouth transverse. Eyes 

 with a free circular margin. Nostrils remote from one another : the anterior tuhula/r and on the front edge of the 

 snout, the posterior patent. Ba/rhels e^ght. Teeth conical in the upper, mixed in the lower jaw : molariform on the 

 vomer. Two rayed dorsal fins, the first with one spine and four or five rays : the second many rayed and confluent 

 with the coMdal, as is also the anal. A pectoral spine. Ventral fin many rayed (12). Air-vessel of moderate 

 size, and not enclosed in lone. A dendritic post-anal apparatus. 



Genus Copidoglanis, Gunther, is divided from the foregoing, having the first branchial arch with a free 

 membrane along the hinder edge of its concave side, and head rather depressed. Plotosus having the 

 "branchial arches without particular cartilaginous posterior processes, and without posterior membrane. 

 Head depressed." 



Geographical distribution.— From the east coast of Africa through the seas and estuaries of India and 

 Burma to Polynesia and Australia. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Plo^suscanius, D. i, 2 D -f C -f A 244-271. Uniform brownish. Coasts and estuaries of India, 

 Burma, and the Straits. ' 



P ^ « ^' ^A^'^^l ^™^ ?\i-^' l°T+ ^ + ^ l^^-^^^- ^™^^' ^i*^ *^« longitudinal white bands. From 

 ited bea and Jiast coast of Africa to Japan and Polynesia. 



1. Plotosus canius, Plate CXII, fig. 3. 



, „ ^*^: ^"^o^-/^^^- ^f°gf ' PP- 142, 374, pi. XV, f. 44 ; Cuv. and Val. xy, p. 425 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 125, 

 and Pro. Sil. p. 318, and Atl Ich. Silur. p. 99, t. 96, f. 2 ; Kner, Sitz. Wien, Acad.^xvii, p. 167, and Novara 

 Fische, p. 300 ; Blyth, Proc. A. S. of Beng. 1868, p. 286 ; Gunther, Catal. v, p. 25. ' ^ ' 



Plotosus umcolor, (Kuhl and v. Hass.) Cuv. and Val. xv, p. 426 ; Bleeker, Silur. Batav. p. 58. 



1 lotosus homdus, mviparus et nmliiradiatm, Bleeker, 1. c. pp. 69, 60. 



Plotosus ccesius, Hyrt. Acad. Wiss. Wien, 1869, xvi, p. 17. 



Inmg-hellettee, Tamil. 



B. xi-xiii, D. i, 2 D + C -f- A 242-271, P. 1/10-11, V. 12, Veri;. 15/65. 



l«T,.fl, ^f^fi°^A^tf ^K^^.H' ^fsy\oi body 7 to 7f in the total length. Eyes-Aia,metev 10 to 11 in the 

 £& J > ? 'J^l^'v ^ .f *^^ interorbital space 2^ to 2i in the length of the head. The width of the 

 head equals Its length behmd the angle of the mouth. Barbels-the nasal nearly reach the nape, the maxiUary 

 the end of the opercle or base of the pectoral, whHst the outer mandibular pair are elightlV longer than 



