FAMILY, I-SILURID^. 489 



AlUa coila, Bleeker, Beng. p. 54 ; Blyth, P. A. S. of Beng. I808, p. 283. 



Ailia affiiiis, Giintlier, Oatal. v, p. 56. „ 1 



PuU'idl and Buns imtta, "Bamboo leaf," Ooriali ; Mun-glee-ah-nee, Sind. ; Vella kalada, ielugu ; 

 "Kajoli, Rangpui-, Basanguti, Gorakpur, Batumi, Bhagulpur," H. Bucli. 



B. viii, P. 1/14, V. 6, A. 59-75, C. 19. 



Length of head 6 to 7, of caudal 5^ to 8, height of body 5i to 6 in the total length. Ei/es— diameter 

 3h to 3f in the length of the head, l^ diameters from the end of snout, and 1 apart. The greatest width ot the 

 head equals its length excluding the snout : the width of the gape of the mouth equals 1/3 of the length ot the 

 head. Upper jaw the longer, and rather overhung by the snout. Cleft of the mouth reaching 1/2 way to the 

 orbit opposite the centre of the eye. Earheh—exti:nd to the first 1/3 or middle of the length of the hsh 

 excluding its caudal fin. Teei/j— generic. Fi/fs— pectoral spine slender and about as long as the head. Ventral 

 short. Anal with from 59 to 75 rays in my specimens, and most of the intermediate numbers may ^'e found 

 {A. affinis is given A. 60-61 : A. Benrjalensis, A. 70-72. One of the first specimens I captured at Delhi had 

 A. 67). Caudal forked. In many specimens the nem-al spines just appear above the skin along the back. 

 Co?o!ws— silvery, some of the fins often stained gray at their margins. The caudal, especially in Orissa specimens, 

 is commonly orange edged with black. i m 1 



This fish is excellent eating. There is a figure of it amongst Sir W. Elliot's drawings from the ielugu 

 country, probably the Kistna. . r i 1 n 



Eahitat. —Fvom the Kistna and Orissa, throughout the Indus, Jumna, and Ganges, alter they leave the 

 hills to their tei-mination ; also Assam. It attains at least 7 inches in length. Ham. Buch. records it to 8 or 

 12 inches in length. 



Genus, 21 — Ailiichthts, Bay. 



Similar to Ailia excejit that the ventral fins are absent* 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. AiliicMhys pundata, A. 76-90. A black spot at the base of the caudal fin. Indus, rivers of the Punjab 

 and the Jumna. 



1. Ailiichthys punctata, Plate CXIV, fig. 5. 



Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 713. 

 Put-tas-si and Put-tu-ali, Puiij. 



P. 1/12, A. 76-90, C. 17. 



Length of head 6 to 7, of caudal 6, height of body 5| in the total length. %es— situated more than 

 half below the angle of the mouth, being partly on the lower side of the head, diameter 4/11 to 1/3 ot 

 leno-th of head, 1/2 to 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, 1 diameter apart. Body compressed, upper profile 

 of the head slightly concave. Width of the head equals its postorbital length. Width of the gape ot the mouth 

 equals 1/3 of the length of the head. Upper jaw somewhat the longer, the cleft of the mouth only extending 

 about half wav to the anterior maro-in of the eye, and to opposite its centre. Barbels— mxich the same length 

 and extend to the middle of the length of the fish. Ted/i— villiform in the jaws. Ft/is— adipose dorsal minute. 

 Pectoral spine nearly as long as the head : ventrals absent. Caudal forked, lower lobe the longer. Colours— 

 silvery, upper surface of head nearly black, a largo black spot before the base of the caudal fin. 



Habitat.— Svimna, below Delhi, also from the Indus in Sind, where I obtained numerous specimens up to 

 4 inches in length. 



Genus, 19 — Euteopiichthts, BleeJcer. 



Branchiostegals eleven. Gill-openings wide, the membranes not being confluent with the skin of tJte isthmus, 

 bat separated by a deep notch. Body and head compressed. Head covered with soft skin. Eyes mth broad adipose 

 lids. Cleft of month deep, extending to beloiu the eyes : upper jaw slightly the longer. Nostrils wide^ and patent the 

 anterior and outer one being at the side of the snout. Bight barbels. Teeth in jaivs sharp : and in a broad band 

 across the vomer and palatines.^ First dorsal shod, having one spine and seven rays : the adipose shoH. Pectoral 



• Professor Troschel (Wiegm. Arch. 1871, pp. 276-280) remarked upon having received a female specimen of the Siluroid 

 Copidoqlanis hrenidorsalis destitute of a ventral fin, and considered such might be a sexual character.^ Ur. Ixuntlier (/^ool. Kecoicl 18,1, 

 p 104) gave his opinion that the apodal specimen was more likely an instance of individual monstrosity, adducing as one reason that he 

 had seen such in Erythrinus, OphiocepJiahu^, &c. Ur. Giinther (Annal. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 18G7, xx, p. -08) drevv attention to the 

 fact " that in numerous groups of fishes which live in mud, forms occur devoid of or with only rudimentary ventral fins. 1 have like- 

 wise found in Ireland abuomial examples of Gasterostms imnyitius, in which the ventrals were absent. In the case ot the fish described 

 above out of many specimens, the ventral was absent in all. It however becomes a question wliether the absence ot tins hn should be a 

 sufficient characteristic on which to found a Genus. If not, the Genera Charma. Apua, &c. will have likewise to be suppressed. 



+ Having (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 306) drawn attention to the statement in the definition of this Genus ot no teeth on the 

 palate," in the "Catalogue of Fishes of the British Museum," Dr. GUnther (Zool. Record, 1869, p. 134) observed that having received 

 an example from ColoSel Plajfair some years ago, the Recorder has found the palatine teeth, which may be distingmshed on a verj 

 ' superficial examination.' " „ 



