FISH OF CEYLON- 



137 



Layard and Molesworth. All the fish in the upper compartment 

 were alive and healthy, as were also the six Ancoottas in the lower 

 compartment. Two small Hoongas likewise appeared vigorous; 

 and a large Hoonga which was nearly exhausted, revived immedi- 

 ately on obtaining access to the air. All the Kawayyas, twelve in 

 number, were dead, also six Maddhacariyas, three Magooras, one 

 Loo] a, and one Cooniya, being the whole number of each of those 

 species that had been confined beneath the diaphragm. 



The different degrees of tenacity of life which were manifested, in 

 the course of this experiment, by the different species, and by dif- 

 ferent individuals of the same species, were very remarkable. Con- 

 trary to my expectation, the first fish that succumbed was a Ka- 

 wayyah, (Anabas) which turned over on its side at half-past twelve, 

 about an hour, or an hour and a quarter after the commencement 

 of the experiment. At a quarter to one, several Kawayyas were on 

 their sides, while a Loola, which, from the result of former experi- 

 ments, I had expected to die first, continued in its ordinary posi- 

 tion, and apparently alive. At three o'clock, two of the Kawayyas were 

 still alive, while all the rest had turned over on their sides nearly 

 an hoar before. I attribute the great length of time required on 

 this occasion to kill the fish, as compared with the result of former 

 experiments, partly to the greater volume of water contained in the 

 aquarium, and partly to a constant stream of fresh water being 

 allowed to fall into it during the earlier part of the experiment, 

 which carried with it minute globules of air. That stream was, 

 however, discontinued about two o'clock, as it seemed that the 

 Ankoottas did not require it. 



The struggles of all the air breathing fishes, and especially of 

 the Kawayyas, to get up to the surface were very violent; and their 

 breathing through their gills became after some time very laborious. 

 This was the more remarkable, because these fish, when they have 

 access to the surface, are remarkable for keeping their gill-covers 

 perfectly motionless. This was especially observable in the Hoon- 

 gas, which survived .the longest ; and I infer, that, although none 

 of these fish can live long, when prevented from rising to the sur- 



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