﻿SilurUS. GANGKTIC FISHES. 147 



The Magur is shaped somewhat like the head of a lance, and 

 is of an olive green colour above, and dirty yellow below. Its 

 fins are edged with red. 



The crown of the head is covered by a naked bone, in which 

 are impressed many hollow dots and two concavities ; the fore- 

 most, between the eyes, is long ; and the other, above the 

 pectoral fins, is circular. The two tendrils at the nostrils are 

 shorter than the head ; the two at the corners of the mouth 

 are almost twice as long as the head ; and of the four under 

 the chin, the two middle ones are as long as the head, and the 

 two outer ones are a little longer. In the fore part of the pa- 

 late is a crescent-shaped bone covered with teeth. In each 

 membrane of the gill-covers I reckoned nine rays, without be- 

 ing sure of having seen the whole. 



There are one prickle and nine soft rays in each pectoral 

 fin, the former being very short and strong. Each ventral fin 

 has one undivided and five branching rays. The fin of the 

 tail fifteen, of which one on each side is undivided. 



IV. Genus. — Sii-urus. 

 Fishes of the fifth order, with a smooth slimy skin, destitute 

 of scales ; with the mouth surrounded by tendrils ; with a long 

 and compressed tail ; with one very short back fin, placed on 

 the shoulders, and supported by rays ; and either with prickles 

 in the back or pectoral fins, or with more than three rays in 

 the membranes of the gill-covers. 



1st Species. — Silurus singio. Plate XXXVII. Fig. 46. 



A silurus with a rounded tail fin ; with eight tendrils ; and 

 with the prickles of the pectoral fins barbed on both sides. 



This fish, if really different, is most nearly allied to the 

 Silurus fossilis of Bloch, {Ichth. Tome XI. p. 36, PI. CCCLX.. 



