﻿Bola. GANGETIC FISHES. 75 



cond, or third, one of which is the longest. The second fin is 

 longer than the first, although not so high in general as the 

 longest of its rays. It commences with one prickle, longer 

 than the last of the first fin, but shorter than the following 

 rays, which are branched, and grow a little longer toward the 

 tail, where the fin is rounded. The pectoral fins are low and 

 shorter than the head. The first ray of each ventral is either 

 simple and rather hard, or is a slender prickle ; and the others 

 are branched. The fin behind the vent is much shorter than 

 the second of the back, and is situated forward on the part 

 where the tail suddenly contracts. It contains two or three 

 prickles closely united without any intervening membrane, 

 and several branched ravs forming an arch. The tail fin is 

 entire, and approaches more or less to the form of a lozenge. 



1st Species — Bola coitor. Plate XXVII. Fig. 24. 



A bola with ten prickles in the first back fin, and one with 

 twenty-six or twenty-seven branched rays in the second ; with 

 two prickles and six or seven branched rays in the fin behind 

 the vent ; with the first branch of the second ray in each ven- 

 tral fin very long, and in form of a bristle ; and with the snout 

 projecting beyond the mouth. 



This fish is found in the Ganges, from the sea up as far 

 at least as Kanpur, and in the Jumna (Yamuna) as far as 

 Agra. It is, however, much more common where the tide 

 reaches ; although its quality improves in the upper parts of 

 the river, especially where the shores are rocky. It seldom 

 exceeds a foot in length, and a span is its more usual size. 

 The fish, which Dr Kussell has described in his Indian Fishes, 

 (Vol. II. No. 110,) but to which he has given no name, has a 

 considerable affinity to the Coitor ; but differs somewhat in the 

 number of rays in the fins, and in the form of that of the tail. 



