﻿100 GANGETic FISHES. Order IV. 



sition respecting the Opkiocephalus gachua,(pa,ge 68,) both fishes 

 living in exactly similar situations, and both being possessed 

 of great tenacity of life in the air, with a considerable facility 

 of progressive motion on land. 



The cobojius, which by the natives is considered as the proto- 

 type of their genus cot, from whence the name Coins is derived, 

 seldom exceeds six inches in length, and is found every where 

 in the marshes, ponds, and ditches of India. Although it abounds 

 in sharp bones, the natives of Calcutta especially use it much 

 in diet, the women thinking that it increases their milk, and 

 the men imagining that it possesses great powers to invigorate. 



The form of this fish is longer in proportion to its thickness 

 than that of any coius which I have seen, and is less compress- 

 ed at the sides, although this circumstance is abundantly evi- 

 dent. It is covered with rough scales, and above is of a dus- 

 ky-green colour^ and below of a pale yellow, with several trans- 

 verse blackish bars on each side. The throat is tinged with 

 blue. Sometimes, but not always, there is an irregular spot at 

 the end of the gill-covers, and another at the end of the tail. 

 Except the first fin of the back, the others have a reddish 

 tinge. In dirty marshes the whole fish becomes nearly black. 



The head is oval, blunt, little compressed, wider than the 

 body, but of moderate size, and is covered entirely with scales. 

 Before and beneath each eye is a hony process, indented on the 

 lower edge, and ending before in a sharp point, which the ani- 

 mal can at pleasure turn out, and which is an organ of progres- 

 sive motion, when it is on land. The mouth is near the middle 

 of the head, passing backward with a curve. 'Yhejaws termi- 

 nate the head, and are nearly equal in length. The outer teeth 

 in each jaw are disposed in a row, remote from each other, and 

 are large and conical. Within these are crowded many small 

 ones. The tongue is smooth, blunt, and free. The palate is 



