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Show 1867.] COL. PLAYFAIR ON THE FISHES OF CACHAR. 15 the length of the head. The length of the ventrals is less than half that of the pectorals. Colour brownish black above, lighter below; most of the scales behind the roots of the pectorals have a round black spot in the centre. In immature specimens, 5 inches long, these spots are not perceptible. Fins dark, immaculate. In young examples the pectorals have transverse darker cross bands. Length 9| inches. 6. ANABAS SCANDENS. Perca scandens, Daldorff, Trans. Linn. Soc. iii. p. 62. Cojus cobojius, Buch. Ham. pp. 98, 3/0, pl. 13. f. 33. Anabas scandens, Giinth. Fish. iii. p. 375. 7. TRICHOGASTER FASCIATUS. Trichogaster fasciatus, Bl. Schn. p. 164, t. 36 ; Giinth. Fish. iii. p. 387. Trichopodus colisa, Buch. Ham. pp. 117, 372, pl. 15. f. 40. 1 T. bejeus, Buch. Ham. pp. 118, 372. IT. cotra, Buch. Ham. pp. 119, 3/2. 1 T. lalius, Buch. Ham. pp. 120, 372. Of the four specimens of Trichogaster received from Cachar, two correspond to the commonest Indian form, S. fasciatus, while two others differ considerably from it both in form and coloration. As, however, this fish is very widely spread over India, and is subject to considerable variations, I hesitate to describe the latter as a new species. TRICHOGASTER FASCIATUS, var. ' 8-9* 14 - 16* Body much more elevated than in the previous variety; its height is contained once and four-fifths in the total length without caudal; the length of the head is two-fifths of the same. Praeorbital serrated. Caudal subtruncated. The dorsal and anal fins much more elevated than in any previously described variety; the fourth spine of the anal is the longest, the others decrease in length posteriorly ; the longest spine of the dorsal (the last) is two-fifths, and the longest of the anal (the fourth) is one-third of the height of the body. The ventral filament reaches as far as the termination of the anal. Colour of the body uniform silvery; the posterior parts of the vertical fins marked with blackish. Length 2 inches. I have carefully examined the original drawings of Buchanau Hamilton's species in the British Museum ; but this cannot be referred to any of them. 8. CLARIAS MAGUR. Mucropteronotus magur, Buch. Ham. pp. 146, 374, pl. 26. f. 45. Clarias batrachus, Bleek. Atl. Ichth. Silur. p. 103, t. 98. f. 2. C. magur, Giinth. Fish. v. p. 17. |