Rivers at the foot of the Boutan Mountains. 279 



to OphicepJialus, which both have the head broad and ob- 

 tuse, and covered with scales as the mullets." In another 

 place, Cuvier remarks, when speaking of OphicepJialus, that 

 " Theophrastus, as we have already stated, was acquainted 

 with these singular fishes ; for it is evident to those who 

 are acquainted with the passage of this philosopher which 

 we have cited, that there are in India certain fishes resem- 

 bling mullets, which spend a portion of their time in the 

 earth." Again in another work, (the last edition of the Regne 

 Animal, vol. ii,) the same illustrious author remarks in 

 a note, that the fishes alluded to by Theophrastus, most in- 

 contestibly belong to the genus Ophicephalus. 



Thus it would appear, that what was communicated to, and 

 received by the Asiatic Society in 1839 as new, and four 

 years after questioned as improbable in the publications 

 of the same Society, was well known to the ancients, and 

 so far from being improbable, is as I have here proved by a 

 reference to one of the greatest modern philosophers, to be 

 perfectly consistent with the order of nature. 



The history of this species may be useful, as tending to 

 remind us, how liable we are to retrograde in these things. 



Two undescribed species of Barbel, and a non-described 

 genus of Chcetodon. 



The large-scaled barbels of India are conveniently divided 

 into such as have a smooth, and such as have a denticulated 

 spine to the dorsal fin. Six large-scaled species of this genus 

 having the dorsal spine smooth, are described, vol. xix, As. 

 Res. Of these, five are remarkable for the great length 

 of the head. The sixth, an Assam species, there called 

 Bokhar, although having the head short, has only 27 scales 

 along the lateral line. A seventh is mentioned on the 

 authority of Buchanan in the work alluded to, where it is 

 stated in a note, that I had not myself met with it. Since 



2 o 



