10GG Catalogue of Malayan Fishes, [Oct. 



vertical diameter of the body varies from J to somewhat less than \ of 

 the total length. Individuals taken in Bengal have the caudal fin § of 

 the length of the head ; the greatest vertical diameter of the body 

 slightly exceeds the length of the head. The colours are slightly 

 different and the number of fin rays are, 



D 16 or 17/9 or 10, A 10 or 11/10. 



In the Malayan countries the fish is eaten by the poorer classes, who, 

 however, attribute to it neither the medicinal qualities nor the climbing 

 propensities, for which it is famed by the natives of Bengal. 

 Gen. Macropodus, Lacepede, 1802. 



Velvety teeth in both jaws, with an external series of longer, distant, 

 recurved teeth ; margins of infraorbitals and opercles externally smooth ; 

 lateral line, when present, interrupted ; dorsal and anal rays undivided ; 

 dorsal fin of less extent than anal ; first ventral and some of the poste- 

 rior anal rays elongated, filamentous. 



Macropodxjs pugnax, Cantor. 

 Plate II. Figs. 1, 2, 3. 



Head above and back pale brownish or olive grey, lighter on the 

 opercles, sides and abdomen ; from between the eyes along the back 

 8 to 1 1 blackish vertical bands, reaching the abdomen ; along the 

 sides 5 or 6 longitudinal silvery lines, produced by a silvery dot on 

 each of scale ; from the angle of the mouth, through the iris to the 

 termination of the opercle a horizontal black band ; lips, chin, and 

 throat blackish blue spreading as a horizontal band over the lower part 

 of the side of the head to the gill-opening ; dorsal, caudal and ventral 

 membranes pale reddish hemitransparent ; margin of the dorsal and 

 the filamentous anterior ventral ray pale golden or silvery green ; anal 

 membrane pale Indian red, lower margin silvery bluish or greenish ; 

 rays blackish ; pectorals whitish transparent. Iris narrow, golden ; 

 the half below the black transversal band carmine ; the half above the 

 band golden, and near the orbit dark olive. 



D 1/8 or 9, C 13|, A 2/25 or 26, V 1/5, P 13, Br. VI. 



Habit. — Fresh water, Pinang, Malayan Peninsula. 



Total length : 3f inch. 



The head is much depressed, and far broader than the body, which 

 is gradually compressed towards the caudal fin. The profile of the 



