40 malayax fishes. 



the caladium leaves ini])artiiig a very fine flavour to the fish. 



They will rise to a fly or beetle, and some flowers, particularly 

 ■n large Hibiscus. Anyone intending to keep tliese fish in stock 

 ponds is advised to keep the pond free from pollution and to feed 

 the fish regularly. It is onl}' i)i this way that rapid growth and 

 good flavour can he obtained. 



Thev attain a length of two feet, a weight of at least 20 pounds 

 and in shape resemble the turbo t. 



The Pepuyu or Betok (Anabas scandens) has a world wide 

 reputation as the Climbing Perch. Gunther^ tells us that in 1797 

 Daldorf in a memoir communicate^ to the Linnean Society of 

 London mentions that he had himself taken, in 1791, an Anabas 

 in the act of ascending a palm tree (Palmyra) which grew near a 

 pond. The fish had reached the height of 5 feet and was going 

 still higher. He igoes on to say that the fish is named in ithe 

 Malayan language the " Tree Climber," which is a mistake. He 

 should, I think, have said the Malayalam language. See Day 

 (Fishes of India) UncU colli. 



'Meek- writes, 



" Anabas has l)een frequently obtained on the ground and 

 a specimen now in the collection of Armstrong College, ob- 

 tained from near Bangkok was found crossing the road o'O 

 yards from the nearest water. It is named the climbing perch 

 from the hahit it has of climbing up the rougli bark of trees by 

 movements of the spine-clad opercula. 



" The method of progression out of the water and the 

 climbing of palms and palmyra trees, especially after heavy 

 rains, have lieen repeatedly observed.'' 



The N'egri Semhilan Malays have a saying, often quoted, which 

 hits off the high estimation in which this little fish is held by inland 

 dwellers: Jikalau sudah milium ai/er gopong bertali ijoh. sudah 

 makan pepuiju, payah nak tinggalkan negri ini: which may be 

 roughly translated: ^Yhen a visitor has drunk the water and eaten 

 the fish of this country, he i- loath to leave it. 



Tlie Ikan Pelaga or Belaga (Betta spp.) ]3rol:)ably derives its 

 name from Siam where it is known as Pla Kat (Pla, fish; Eat, a 

 fighter). 



It is common throughout the Peninsula and may be caught in 

 most of the ponds and ditches in Singapore. 



Cantor relates that tlie Siame-e are infatuated with the com- 

 bats of these fith, staking on the issue cousideral)le sums, and some- 

 times their own jktsous and families. 



The licence to fight these fish used to be farmed in Siam and 

 brought in a considerahle revenue to the King. 



1 Study of Fishes, p. .516. 

 - Migrations of Fisb, 1916. 



