﻿Ophiocephalus. gangetic fishes. 69 



these organs. The eyes are placed forward. The gill-covers 

 end in a sharpish point, and each of their jnembranes contains 

 five rays. 



The shoulders ascend a little from the fin. From the 

 shonlders the lateral lines are distinct, and consist on each 

 scale of three small elevated points with a line interposed. 

 The vent is rather before the middle. The scales are large, 

 imbricated, and striated. 



The fin on the back is rounded behind, and its rajs at the 

 top are divided into two or more branches. Each of the pec- 

 toral fins contains fifteen divided rays, and each of the ventrals 

 five. The anal fin contains about twenty-two divided at the 

 tops, and that of the tail has about twelve. 



7th Species ? — Ophiocephalus aurantiacus. Plate XXIII. 



Fig. 22. 



An ophiocephalus with about thirty-four rays in the back fin ; 

 and with the colour of every part of the fish like that of an 

 orange. 



This fish I found in a pure mountain stream near Goyal- 

 para, on the N. E. frontier of Bengal. The bottom of the tor- 

 rent consisted of stones. I have put it down as a distinct spe- 

 cies with doubt, because the fishermen gave it the same name 

 with the last described species ; and, on a close examination, I 

 could find no essential differences between the two, except in 

 the colours. These, indeed, are so different, that I can scarce- 

 ly persuade myself that they originate entirely in a difference 

 of the situation in which the two animals have lived. 



The only difference in form that I observe is, that in the 

 O. aurantiacus the back does not rise as in the O. gachua ; nor 

 is the head so wide in proportion, while the lateral lines can- 

 not be distinctly traced. 



