MALAYAN FI8HEB. 



47 



piiies, attauw a Ipii^'tli of'tiljoul hfilF m hivh mil h believed to be 

 the wmallest known Hslu 



The fiwiiily not of miK-Ii economir iini>ortrtii<re at |jrv^^i"ut 

 jhkI f ha VP no personal kuowlefl^e of their edible fiiinhties. 



(Hir \mH noti'WMi thv siwii's lare the Belontok {Ehfilri^ mar- 

 momtti) the Belodok {{iohuis sppj, theTembakul mid BSIactiak 

 ( PrnVj p It ill tdm ftx fip\:>.). 



The Belontok hiis alrcarlv heeti alhided to as attaininiir a large 

 size iLUil iiiit h's- rhuii scvtni s^iuHieti are kuowii to inhabit our 



One of our Belodok (fL hnfia) h said l^y Day to be much 

 eiiteenicd \\v the iintiives of India, aa Ij^fiii^ very lif^lit aiiil \vh<ile- 

 rtonie. but imie^ij; eIal*orately eut^ketl is not reli,>*hetl by Eurup^'aiia, 

 InxaUiie of iti* didit ient^v in. or e«rthy* tnste. 



It artain^j a lei!*ith of a foot and a half, tflko? ft bait frL»ely md 

 i^ largely bred iii tank.^ in Indi^i. 



The Tembakul am! Belachak will be f&miliar to most resi- 

 dents in M^daya a,-* the Mnd-Ski|jpers whieb may Im^ iaoen di^iporting 

 thL-msiuIves on the nuid and anion-' the mant^rtives, along all our 

 ■cfjiLists and estnaries, 



Malays, hiive told me tliat tht?He Mi «re gorxl eating and i)osse8B 

 ^rreflt metlidnal virtues. 



They have very conspit-ndnsi pruniinent eyea, which are capable 

 ■of protriJ!^ion ami rcTrai'tion, antl extraordinary muscular pectoral 

 fim y^'hUh they ii^ie Ukc flrnu* Utr progresaiun on mud end for 

 •climlfln«:. 



Day writer. ''They tlinih on to trees, hohhnj; on hy tlieir 

 petrtorai fins exaetlr as if they were nrm^. Xow nnd then they 

 plant these firmly m orff«n.s uf support, the same as one places 

 one's elbtiw^i on a tahle, then they rai^^e their head.* jind take a 

 deliberate siuney of i^urroninUiig oiijects." 



Savi lie-Kent U quoted by 8tead as foUowi!:,. 



''*A reniiirkuble oireiiniMaiR'e assoidated with the life 

 eeonoiuy of J^fnoiihihnhtnus in tbe faet that it eauiiot ansitain 

 life if eontinually vvater-snhtner^ftd like onlinftry fkh. The 

 exposure of it.* tissvieri the flction of atmospheric air witli 

 evi!ry fidl t>f the ti(h^ appeartf to b^ efisential to its well-heinor, 

 and exniuple:* experi mental 3y kept iiTRier water for prolon^red 

 jiitervfllH were literally drowneil, 



" Ae a provjsion for its abnormal iife-habits, it has l)een 

 ascertainetl that* Fedophlhrtlmm possesses a supplementary 

 respiratory or^aii winch, .<ini?ular to relate, is repieseeted, in 

 ihh inutaat^e, in the creature's tafl. 



'*The fish while repoi*ing on the surfac e of the imnl com- 

 niojdy leaves iti? tail more or less inmier^ed in the wivter. The 

 blood circidate?i wjtl) altnornml ener^ry Ihrongh thit^ thin mem- 

 hranong ajipeiida^'e. which aicordingly I'ulfiLs the funetion of a 

 B uppiemen t& r y gill . 



