FAfflLT, I— SILURIDiE. 487 



Saccolranchus fosslUs, Bleeker, Beng. p. 58 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 342 ; Giintlier, Catal. v, 

 p. 31. 



Silurus microceplialus, Gvinther, Catal. v, p. 31. 



Bitchu la mutchee, and Singi, Hind. : Sinrjee and Sheen-ee, Assam ; Thay-lee, Tam. : Mar-jju, Tel._: 

 Singee, Ooriali, Beng. and N. W. Prov. : Nga-gyee and N.,a.kyee, Burmese and Mugh. : Lahoonl (young), Nullie 

 (adult), Punj. : Eahree-meen, Mai. : Lo-har, Sind. : (KamacJia singgi, Bbagalpur, H. B.) 



B. vii, D. 6-7, P. i V. 6, A. 60-79, C. 19. 



Lengtli of head from 6| to 7, of caudal from about 9 to 14, height of body (greatly depending upon food 

 or season) from 5 to 8 in the total length. The width of the head equals its length, and that of the gape of the 

 mouth 2i to 2i in the length of the head. Eyes — from 2 to 3 diameters from end of snout. £arfce?s— the 

 maxillary extend to the middle of the pectoral, or even the commencement of the ventral fins. Teeth — those on 

 the vomer in a pyriform patch on either side, converging anteriorly, widely divergent posteriorly. Fms—th.& 

 dorsal commences rather before the anterior third of the body : the ventrals reach to the third or fourth anal ray 

 or just to the origin of that iin.* Pectoral spine serrated internally, also usually with a few serrations externally 

 at its anterior end, it is from two-thirds to three-fourths as long as the head. Anal and caudal separated by a 

 more or less distinct notch. Colours — leaden, sometimes with two longitudinal yellowish bands. The young 

 are occasionally reddish. 



Wounds from the pectoral spine of this fish are dreaded in India, as they are reputed to be very 

 poisonous, even occasioning tetanus. As soon as captured, the oifensive spine is broken off by blows with a 

 stake, consequently it is difficult to procure a large and perfect specimen. Fishermen dread it so much that 

 they would prefer cutting the meshes of their nets and allowing it to escape than endeavour to remove^ it 

 uninjured. As food the flesh is esteemed for its invigorating quaHties, and tanks are frequently stocked with 

 them during the rainy season. When food is plentiful they fatten well, if the reverse they become lanky, thus 

 altering the comparative height of the body to that of its length. 



In a specimen captured at Bezwada, September 12th, 1868, the ova were fuUy developed : the colour of 

 the eggs was of a pea-green. 



EaUtat.—Fvfish. waters of Sind, India, Ceylon, Burma, and Cochin-China, attaining a foot or more m length. 



Genus, 19 — Siiundia, Cvmier and Valencieivnes. 



BrancUostegals eleven to twelve. Gill-openings wide, the gill-membranes overlapping hut not confluent ivith 

 the shin of the isthirms. Body elongated and compressed. Read covered ivith soft skin. Eyes lateral, with narrow 

 adipose lids. Mouth rather wide, not cleft to so far as the eyes, lower javj the longer. Nostrils, those on either side 

 approximating, the anterior pair in front of the snout and a little external to the posterior pair. A pair of maxillary 

 and sometimes also a pair of mandibular barbels. Villiform teeth in the jaws, and in an uninterriqited band on the 

 palate. First dorsal fin with one spine and seven rays : the adipose short. Anal long (40-60 rays). _ Ventral ivith 

 6 rays, placed below or just behind the adipose dorsal. Air-vessel Udney-shaped, comex anteriorly, lying across the 

 body of an anterior vertebra, from which it is separated by the aorta, having its lateral margins protected by bone. 

 An axillary pore. 



Geographical distribution. — Throughout the larger rivers of India and Burma. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



A. Two pairs of barbels. 



1. Silimdia SyJcesii, A. 44-50. A pair of maxillary and also of mandibular barbels. Rivers of the 

 Deccan to their terminations. 



B. One pair of barbels. 



2. Silundia Gangetica, A. 40-46. A pair of short maxillary barbels. Indus, Ganges, Jumna, and large 

 rivers of Assam and Burma. 



A. A pair of maxillary and also mandibular barbels. 

 1. Silundia Sykesii, Plate CXIV, fig. 2. 



Day, Journ. Linn. Soc. Zool. xii, 1876, p. 569. 



7 Ageneiosus Childreni, Sykes, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii, p. 375, t. 66, f. 3. 



? Silundia Childreni, Bleeker, Hind. p. 68 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 340. 



Wal-la-ke kel-le-tee (slippery siku-oid) and Poo-nat-tee, Tam. ; Wan-jou, Tel. 



B. xii, D. i I 0, P. 1/12, V. 6, A. 44-50 (rf-Ifr), C. 19. 



Length of head 5|, of caudal 4f , height of body 5f in the total length. jE7i/es— with a narrow, free, 

 adipose lid, diameter 3J in the length of the head, 1 diameter from the end of snout, and l^ apart. The 

 greatest width of the head equals its length behind the middle of the eyes : lower jaw the longer, curved 

 upwards in the middle : snout rather broad : the width of the gape of the mouth equals 4/11 of the length of the 



* In Assam the ventrals sometimes do not reach the anal fin. 



