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Show 312 MR. G. E. DOBSON ON T H E [May 19, Tschudi dans la description de la M. agilis. Le poil des parties inferieures est unicolore. Lesgriffes sont blanchatres. Dimensions en millimetres: Long, depuis le nez jusqu'a la naissance de la queue 270 270 „ de la queue avec le poil 185 175 ,, de la queue sans poil 150 1 73 „ de la tete 60 60 ,, du tarse avec les griffes 51 51 C'est l'espece la plus voisine de la M. frenata du Mexique; la grandeur est presque la meme, ainsi que la proportion de la queue, qui est aussi presque egalement velue, terminee en pointe et non pas en pinceau comme dans la M. erminea. Sans doute c'est 1'animal mentionne par Tschudi*, il dit: " Nous supposons que plusieurs differentes especes s'y trouvent, car nous avons vu plusieurs fois une belette pres de deux pieds de longueur, sans avoir eule bonheur de la tuer. Les renseignements des Indiens confirment notre supposition." Notre animal est plus petit, car il n'a que 18 pouces, mais Tschudi a pu exagerer sa grandeur en comparant avec M. agilis. 3. Notes on the Respiration of some Species of Indian Freshwater Fishes. By Gl. E. D O B S O N , B.A., M.B., C.M.Z.S., F.L.S. [Received April 20, 1874.] The following notes on the respiration of some species of Indian freshwater fishes were derived from experiments made in the months of April, May, and June last year upon several specimens from the river Hooghly, near Calcutta. The number of species examined was eleven, representing six families-namely, Siluridse, Symbranchidse, Cyprinidae, Labyrinthici, Ophiocephalidse, and MastacembelidEe. Previous observers j of the habits of the freshwater fishes of tropical countries had remarked that some species required atmospheric air directly for the purpose of respiration, and if prevented from obtaining it were suffocated, precisely as land animals would be. To such species the term "aerial" or "compound breathers" has been applied, in contradistinction to that of " water-breathers," which is applicable to most species of fishes. * Fauna Peruana, Saugeth. p. iii. t To avoid entering upon an account here of what has been observed on the same subject previously, it will be sufficient to refer to Mr. Boake's paper on the fishes inhabiting the Ceylon marshes, published in the Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1865, and to M r . Francis Day's paper entitled " Observations on some of the Freshwater Fishes of India," in P. Z. S. 1868, pp. 274-288, in which, besides an account of many most interesting and original experiments on the respiration of these fishes, the investigations of previous observers are described or referred to. |