Description of a collection of Fishes from China. 399 



Colour. — The sides are marked along the whole length above the 

 lateral line by a series of irregular half circles, occasioned by a broad 

 undulating dark line, which extends along each side, sending off at 

 every undulation a branch to the back, which meets a corresponding 

 branch from the opposite side ; similarly formed, but smaller semi- 

 circles are observed below the lateral line on the tail. 



Habitat. — Chusan. 



Distinguished from M. Armatus, Buch. which has also 37 prickles 

 in front of the dorsal, by short bands, instead of small circular 

 dots or spots, connecting the undulations on the sides with the back, 

 and by 3 spines in front of the anal instead of 2 ; and from M- Arma- 

 tus, Lacep. by 37 spines in the back instead of 33. 



Bakbus putitora, t. xxiii. fig. 2. 

 Cy prims patitora, Buch. 



This species, which has been described by Buchanan in his ac- 

 count of the fishes of the Ganges, I have never before met with ; and 

 it is singular, that it should be found in a collection from China. 

 Buchanan's description is very accurate, and leaves little additional 

 to be said on the subject, except as to the number of scales. 



It may be described in a few words, as a short Barbel, with a short 

 blunt smooth snout, with 4 short cirri. The back forms a high 

 narrow ridge in front of the dorsal, abruptly arched from the 

 snout to behind the nape. The mouth is small, the length of the 

 head is less than a third of the body, (exclusive of the head and 

 caudal fin,) and considerably less than the depth of the body. There 

 are 25 scales along the lateral line, and 6^ scales in an oblique row, 

 from the base of the ventrals to the front of the dorsal : the third 

 scale from the ventral fin forming the lateral line, and the seventh 

 the ridge of the back. The fin rays are, 



D. f : P. 16: V. 9: A. 7 : C. 19. 



The Chinese specimen, which we owe to Dr. G. R. Playfair, is about 

 ten inches in length. In the higher parts of the rivers of India, 

 Buchanan states, that it attains nine feet in length. 



It was found by Buchanan in the vicinity of the mountains on the 

 northern frontier of Bengal, and by Dr. G. R. Playfair at Ningpo, in 

 China. 



