FAMILY, I— SILURID^. 450 



B. vi. D. i/0, P. 1/10, V. 6, A. 19 (rV), C. 17. 



Length of head 4j, of caudal 5, height of body 5 in the total length. Eyes — diameters 6 in the length of 

 head, 2\ diameters from the end of snout, and .3 apart. The greatest width of the head exceeds its height by 

 1/3, and is 1/6 less than its length. Upper jaw the longer, the width of the gape of the mouth equals half the 

 length of the head. The niedian longitudinal groove on the head is shallow anteriorly but becomes narrow 

 posteriorly and does not quite extend to the base of the occipital process, which latter is keeled, nearly as broad 

 at its base as it is long : lasal bone of dorsal fin narrow and crescent shaped. Upper surface of the head almost 

 as far forwards as the eyes, and the occipital process studded wth coarse granules. Barbels — the maxillary pair 

 reach the posterior third of the pectoral fin, whilst the outer mandibular ones are as long as the head. Teeth — ■ 

 on the palate villiform in two triangular patches, approximating superiorly and pai-allel along the median line. 

 jFi'jis— dorsal much higher than the body, the dorsal spine strong, as long as the head, and having an elongated 

 soft prolongation, it is granulated anteriorly in its lower half, serrated in its upper, posteriorly it is serrated : 

 base of adipose dorsal nearly as long as that of the rayed fin. Pectoral fin almost reaches the ventral, its spine 

 is nearly as long as the head, rough, granulated externally and denticulated internally. Upper caudal lobe the 

 longer. Colours — of a dull yellow, the fins being externally stained with black. 



This species is closely allied to A. ccelatus, its maxillary barbel is longer, the dorsal spine more produced, 

 and its colours diiferent. It may be only a variety. 



Hahifat. — Hooghly at Calcutta from whence the specimen figured, life-size, was procured. Blyth says it 

 attains 12 or 13 inches in length. 



3. Arius caelatus, Plate CV, fig. .5. 



Cuv. and Val. xv, p. 60; Bleeker, Atl. loh. Silur. p. 3-5, t. 53; Giinther, Catal. v, p. 1.j8; Day, Malabar 

 Fishes, p. 178. 



Arius cerpiiharhts and graiwsus, Cuv. and Val. xv, pp. 08, 09 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind. p. 56. 



Arius cmlatoides, 7yucrogastro})terijr/ius, dypeaster, chjpeastroides, chondropterygius and melanopterygius, 

 Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxi, Silur. Batav. pp. 32, 33, 34, 35, 1. c. sxii, Madura, js. 10. 



Cepladocassls ctelatus, Bleeker, Ich. Arch. Prod. p. 110. 



B. vi, D. I/O, P. 1/9, V. 6, A. 19 ( f^f ), C. 15. 



Length of head 4^ to 4§, of caudal 5 to 0, height of body 0| in the total length. Eyes — diameters 6 to 9 

 in the length of the head, 2 to 2h diameters from the end of snout, and from 3 to 4 apart. Head broader than 

 high, its greatest width being equal to its length posterior to the nostrils, the width of the mouth equals the 

 postorbital length of the head or a little more. Upper jaw the longer, the angle of the mouth does not extend 

 so far posteriorly as to below the orbit. Upper surface of the head and occipital process strongly granulated, 

 the median longitudinal groove narrow and deep posteriorly and does not quite reach the base of the occipital 

 process, which is a little keeled, as broad or slightly broader at its base than it is long, its anterior extremity 

 slightly concave and reaches to the basal bone which is V-shaped and rather narrow. Barbels — the maxillary 

 ones reach the middle of the pectoral fin, whilst the external mandibular ones are one-fifth shorter. Teetli — 

 villiform in two somewhat widely separated triangular patches, the vomerine being confluent with the palatine 

 ones. Fins — dorsal spme very strong especially in its lower half, which is granulated both laterally and 

 anteriorly, serrated in its upper portion, also posteriorly in its whole extent, it is nearly or quite as long as the 

 Lead and has a soft prolongation : base of adipose dorsal shorter than that of the rayed fin, and equals about 

 half of the extent of the interspace between the two fins. Pectoral spine as strong as, but rather shorter than, 

 that of the dorsal, it is granulated externally, serrated internally. Ventral does not reach the anal. Upper 

 caudal lobe sometimes the longer. Colours — bluish along the back and sides, becoming white beneath. 

 Adipose dorsal black, with its inferior and posterior margins yellow. Superior portion of dorsal, the end of the 

 pectoral and ventrals black, as is also the anterior part of the anal. 



Arius cequibarbis is said to have A. 22, its outer mandibular barbels as long as the maxillary one, and its 

 caudal lobes 1/4 of the entire length, and coming from Bengal and Rangoon. 



Habitat. — From Bombay through the Indian Seas to the Malay Archipelago, it is not uncommon at 

 Calcutta. The specimen figured is 8 inches in length and from Moulmein : it attains a considerable size. 



4. Arius acutirostris, Plate CVII, fig. 1. 



B. V, D. i I 0, P. 1/10, V. 0, A. 19 (yV), C. 17. 



Length of head 3|, of caudal 6, height of body 7 in the total length. Eyes — diameters 7 in the length of 

 head, 3^ diameters from the end of snout, and 2 apart. The greatest width of the head equals about 

 half its length, and is one-sixth more than its height. Snout fleshy and elongated, extending some distance 

 beyond the mouth : mouth inferior, the extent of its gape equalling one-third of the length of the head. 

 Upper surface of the head granulated, or with roughened lines. Median longitudinal groove on head does not 

 extend to the base of the occipital process which is slightly keeled, rather longer than wide at its base, 

 and reaches the narrow V-shaped basal bone of the dorsal fin. Barbels — short, the maxillary reach beyond the 

 hind edge of the eye : the outer mandibular ones are about one-third of the length of the head, whilst 

 the inner ones are shorter. Teeth — the villiform band in the premaxillaries is about 1/3 as deep as wide : those 



3 N 2 



