LABTEINTHICI. 367 



Geographical Distribution. India, the Malay Archipelago, and 

 the Philippine Islands ; most numerous in the maritime provinces 

 and the deltas of the larger rivers. 



1208. (1.) Anabas scandens. (Fig. 120.) 



Perca scandens, Daldorf, Trans. Linn. Soc. iii, 1797, p. 62. 

 Anabas scandens, Day, Fish. India, p. 370, pi. Ixxviii, fig. 3 (see 

 synon.). 



Undee-collee , Mai. ; Pauni-eyri and Sennal, Tarn. ; Coi and Cormi, 

 Beng., Assam., and Ooriah ; Nga-pri, Arracan ; Nga-bye-ma, Burm. ; 

 Kavaya or Kaivhy-ya, Singhalese. 



D.17-18/8-10. A.9-10/9-11. L.l.28-32. L.tr.3-4 | 9-10. C.p.0-3, 



Length of head 3| to 3|, height of body 3 to 4 in the total 

 length. Eyes diameter 4| to 5 in length of head, | to 1 diam. 

 from end of snout, and 1| to 2 apart. Preorbital strongly denti- 

 culated ; posterior edge of opercle, also of sub- and interopercles 

 strongly spinous, shoulder- scale generally with two or three denti- 

 culations. Teeth villiform in jaws, the outer row rather the 

 largest ; a small patch on front end of vomer, none on palatines. 

 Fins spinous portion of the dorsal fin ^ of entire length at the 



Fig. 120. Anabas scandens. 



base, soft portion higher than spinous. Scales some over soft 

 dorsal, caudal, anal, and base of pectoral. Lateral line inter- 

 rupted about seventeenth scale. Colours rifle-green, becoming 

 lighter on abdomen. During life there are usually four wide ver- 

 tical body-bands, and a dark stripe from the angle of the mouth to 

 the preopercle. The young have a black blotch on side of base of 

 tail, surrounded by a light, sometimes yellow, ring; usually they 

 have a black spot at the end of the opercle. 



Hab. Estuaries and fresh waters of India, Ceylon, and Burma, 

 the Malay Archipelago and Philippines ; attaining at least 8| inches 

 in length. The breeding-season is about June and July. 



2. Genus POLYACANTHUS, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 

 Branchiostegals six ; pseudobranchiae glandular or absent. Body 



