r ^ c\ 



130 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



occupying rather above three-fourths of the length of the fin and are receivable into a groove, interspinous 

 membrane deeply eniarginate, soft portion of the fin similar to that of the anal and almost square : anal spines 

 of moderate strength the central one the longest and equal to two-thirds the length of the rays : caudal cut 

 nearly square. Scales — rather smaller on the nape than on the body, some extend over the bases of the dorsal 

 and anal rays, an enlarged one at the angle of the ventral fin and another between the two ventrals. Lateral- 

 line — interrupted at about the 36th scale. Colours — greenish-brown with brassy reflections, vertically marbled 

 with three broad patchy bands, and a fourth crosses the free portion of the tail, or occasionally there exists a 

 black blotch there, some narrow dark bands radiate from the eye. Narrow bands of spots across the soft 

 portions of the dorsal, anal, and the caudal fins. 



In Assam and to the east of Bengal, as already observed (p. 129), the bones of the head are more 

 strongly serrated than is usually seen in the <5ther parts of India. 



Bleeker has discriminated between the Nandus marmoratus C. "V. of India, and the N. nebulosus, Gray 

 and Hardw. which inhabits the islands of the Sound. Of this latter he observes amongst other peculiarities that 

 its scales are tflff > being much fewer in number than in N. marmoratus. In examining 10 specimens of this 

 latter I find as follows : 



Five from Madras and Malabar L. r. ff, ff, ff, ff. ff, L. tr. 5|-6/17-20. 

 Five „ Assam . . . . . L. r.' ff, ff. ff, ff, ff, L. tr. 5|-6/18-19. 



Habitat. — Fresh and brackish waters of India and Burma, attaining at least 7 inches in length. It is 

 common in. ditches and inundated fields where it preys on small Cyprinidce. It is exceedingly tenacious of life. 



Genus, 4— Pkistolepis, Jerdon (1848). 



Catopra, Bleeker (1851) : Parauandus, Day. 



Branchiostegals six : pseudobranchia absent. Eyes lateral. Mouth moderately protractile. Opercle with two 

 flat (generally bifid) spines : preopercle and preorbital mostly serrated. Teeth villiform on the jaivs and palate, villiform 

 or globular on the vomer, obtusely globular on the base of the tongue, on the roof of the cavity of the mouth (pre- 

 sphenoid), and sometimes on the vomer. Anal fin with three or four spines. Scales ctenoid, large, extended on to the 

 iuterbranchial membrane. Lateral-line interrupted. Pyloric appendages two. 



Geographical distribution. — Fresh waters of the plains and hills of India, Burma, Siam and the Malay 

 Archipelago : those with villiform teeth in the adult on the vomer would appear to belong to India proper : 

 those with globular teeth on that bone to Burma and the Eastwards. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



A. With villiform teeth on vomer (Paranandus). 



1. Pristolepis marginatus, D. fflff , A. ■§, preorbital, preopercle, sub- and inter-0]3ercles serrated. Wynaad. 



2. Pristolepis Malabaricus, D. yf f^, A. f . Malabar ghauts descending to the plains. 



B. With globular teeth on vomer (Catopra). 



3. Pristolepis nandioides, D. ffff , A. f . Burma and to the East as far as the Malay Archipelago. 



A. With villiform teeth on the vomer (Paranandus). 



1. Pristolepis marginatus. 



Jerdon, Madras Journal, Lit. and Sc. 1848, p. 141, and Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1865, xvi, p. 298 ; 

 Day, Fishes of Malabar, p. 131. 



Catopra tetracanthus, Giinther, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. 192, pi. xxvi, fig. B. 



B. vi, D. ff3f > P. 14, V. 1/5, A. f, L. r. ff , L. tr. 3|/11. 



Length of head 3^ to 3|, of caudal 1/5, height of body, 3| in the total length. Eyes — diameter 3| to 3f 

 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. Length of head rather exceeds 

 its height. Lower jaw very slightly the longer : premaxillaries reach to opposite the anterior margin of the 

 orbit: the maxilla to below the front edge of the eye. Preopercle serrated at its angle and also for a short 

 distance along its vertical border : sub- and inter-opercles likewise with some serrations at their approximating 

 angles : opercle with two flat spines, the lower of which may be bifid : preorbital sometimes rather strongly 

 serrated. Teeth — villiform in the jaws, with an outer rather widely placed row of curved ones : villiform teeth 

 on the vomer and palatines, and granular at the root of the tongue and on the roof of the cavity of the 

 month (pre-sphenoid). Fins — dorsal spines rather strong, increasing in length to the fifth: three last anal 

 spines of about the same length : caudal rounded. Scales — two entire and two half rows between the lateral- 

 line and the base of the dorsal fin : 13 rows between the base of the ventral and that of the dorsal fin. Lateral- 

 line —interrupted opposite the last third of the soft dorsal on the twenty-first scale. Colours — as in the next 

 species. 



Habitat.— This form, originally described by Jerdon, was obtained from the "river of Manontoddy, 

 flowing into the Cauvery : in the Cotiaddy river in North Malabar, and in the stream that runs near Canote 

 in the same district." I have obtained one in Malabar 3f inches in length, with the P. Malabaricus. I 



