﻿90 GANGETic FISHES. Order IV. 



tains three plates, of which the foremost, together with the 

 cheek-bone, is indented on the edge ; and the last terminates in 

 a very strong sharp point. Each of their membranes contains 

 six rays : they are concealed by their covers, and are of a thick 

 substance. 



The back is much arched, and has a furrow for receiving 

 the fin ; and the belly is rather straight. The] sides are much 

 compressed. The scales are large, indented on the edge, and 

 adhere .firmly. Above each ventral fin is a long scale-like ap- 

 pendanf. 



All the prickles of the back Jin are strong and separated by 

 membranes, the fore part of each of which is attached to the 

 point of the prickle, while the hinder part is attached consider- 

 ably below the point, rendering the edge of the fin like that 

 of a saw. The first soft ray of the back fin is undivided, and 

 the last is divided to the root into two. The pectoral fins are 

 longer than the head, and sharp above : each contains fifteen 

 rays, of which the first and second are short and undivided. 

 The ventral fins are rather short, and their prickle is strong : 

 the bristles of their second rays are recurved. The vent fin 

 \ is composed of two fully united ; but the first is supported by 

 strong prickles, of which the middle one is the longest ; the se- 

 cond contains soft branched rays, the first of which is longer 

 than the third prickle, while the others gradually diminish in 

 lencrth. The tail^n consists of two short blunt lobes, of which 

 the under one is the shortest. It contains seventeen distinct 

 rays, besides some short compacted ones at each side. 



3d Species.— Corns catus. Plate XXXVIII. Fig. 30. 



A corns with the tail fin ending in a slight concavity, with 

 the back fins united, and containing ten prickles and fourteen 

 soft rays ; with three prickles and eight soft rays in the fin be- 



