FAMILY, IV— NANDID^. 129 



Scales — ctenoid, extending over the body and head, there are two or three small rows along the bases of the 

 dorsal and anal fins, and some minute ones are often present on the rays of the vertical fins, one entire row 

 exists between the highest portion of the lateral-line and the small scales along the base of the dorsal fin. 

 Lateral-line — interrupted below the posterior extremity of the dorsal fin. Air-vessel — large, with thin walls. 

 Colours — subject to great variation. In India proper, including the Punjab and Sind, the body is variegated 

 with alternate belts of black and green ; but in old fishes, especially if captured in dirty water, these bands 

 are black and dirty red. On each shoulder there is usually a bluish-black spot, another is often present 

 on the opercle, and a third at the base of the caudal fin. In specimens from Assam and Burma a different 

 mode of colouring obtains. In Assam, in the variety figured, they are of a dull red, blotched or spotted with 

 black ; but in Burma these spots take the form of six vertical bands, each being formed by four transverse 

 blotches one above the other ; a large one is situated on the shoulder, and another on the side of the free 

 portion of the tail : all the vertical fins have a narrow white edge. 



Habitat. — Fresh waters of India and Burma, attaining at least 3^ inches in length. I obtained several 

 at Mandalay in Upper Burma from a canal which was being baled out. 



2. Badis dario. 



Labrus dario, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 72, 368. 

 Badis dario, Gunther, Catal. iii, p. 367. 

 Kunkakie, Ooriah : Ka-sondara, Tel. 



B. vi, D. V% P- 9> V. I/ 5 . A - f> C. 15, L. 1. 26-30, L. tr. 11. 



Length of head 1/4, of caudal nearly 1/4, height of body 1/4 of the total length. Under jaw slightly 

 the longer. Eyes — diameter 1/3 of length of head, 1/2 a diameter from end of snout, and also apart. Teeth — 

 minute as in the last species. Fins — dorsal spines slender, the soft portion as well as of the anal pointed : 

 caudal wedge-shaped. Scales — rather large. Lateral-line — absent. Colours — stone-colour, with several black 

 vertical bands, mostly in the last half of the body ; but in dirty water the black colour extends all over. 



Habitat. — Ponds, rivers and ditches in the northern parts of Bengal, Behar, and along the Western 

 ghauts, attaining three inches in length : it is eaten by the natives. 



Genus, 3 — Nandus, Cuv. and Val. 



Bedula, Gray. 



Branchiostegals six : pseudobranchiae absent. Body oblong, compressed. Eyes lateral. Mouth very protractile, 

 its cleft deep. Opercle with one spine : preopercle serrated, or more or less entire, as are also the preorbital, sub- and 

 inter-opercles. Teeth villiform on the jaws, vomer, palatines and tongue : the length of the base of the spinous portion 

 of the dorsal fin longer than that of the rays: anal with three spines. Scales of moderate size, ctenoid. Lateral-line 

 interrupted. Air-vessel large and simple. Pyloric appendages absent. 



Geographical distribution. — Fresh waters of India, Burma and Siam. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Nandtis marmoratus, D. -Tr-i^ A. y ! ¥ , L. 1. 46-57. Brown, vertically marbled with wide darker bands. 



This species shows great variation in accordance with the localities where it is taken, the serrations on the 

 bones of the head being usually exceedingly indistinct or even absent in specimens obtained in Sind and India 

 as far as Calcutta. But in Assam a considerable difference is perceptible, as most of the specimens have both 

 limbs of the preopercle and also the lower edges of the sub- and inter-opercles serrated, sometimes rather 

 coarsely so. 



1. Nandus marmoratus, Plate XXXII, fig. 1. 



Coius nandus, Ham. Buch. pp. 96, 370, pi. 30, fig. 32 ; McClell. Cal. J. N. Hist, ii, p. 574. 



Nandus marmoratus, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 482, pi. 207 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 17 ; Jerdon, Madras J. L. and 

 Sc. 1848, p. 141 ; Gunther, Catal. iii, p. 367 ; Day, Fish. Malab. p. 128 ; Bleeker, Nandioides, p. 3. 



Bedula Hamiltonii, Gray and Hardw. HI. In. Zool. ii, pi. 88, f. 3 (from H. B. Ms.) 



Mootahree, Mai. : Bodosi and Gossiporah, Ooriah : Vaadhul, Hind. : Septi, Tel. : Latha and Gudtha, Beng. : 

 Mussoassah, Punj.: Gad-gud-di and Bad-vaad-hi, Assam. 



B. vi, D. J^tt, P. 16, V. 1/5, A. T ? T , C. 15, L. 1. 46-57, L. r. f£ff, L. tr. 5^-6/17-20, Vert. 24. 



Length of head 1/3, of pectoral 2/15, of caudal 1/6 to 2/11, height of body 1/3 to 3/10 of the total 

 length. Eyes — diameter 1/5 to 1/6 of length of head, rather above 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. 

 The profile over the orbit is rather concave, whilst the abdominal is not so convex as that of the dorsal. Pre- 

 maxillaries very protrusible, reaching to one diameter behind the posterior border of the orbit. The posterior 

 extremity of the maxilla reaches to some distance behind the eye. Preopercle may be entire, only finely serrated 

 at its angle, or serrated along both limbs : the sub- and inter-opercles likewise may be entire, serrated along 

 their approximating portions or in their whole extent. Preorbital with some minute serrations or entire. 

 Teeth — in villiform bands in the jaws, in an elongated band, widest at either extremity, on the tongue ; in a 

 narrow row on the palatines and in a ^-shaped band on the vomer, in some cases " intermixed with these in each 

 jaw are several sharp teeth of a larger size." (Ham. Buch. 1. c.) Fins — dorsal spines rather strong, their base 



s 



