﻿148 GANGETic FISHES. Order V. 



fio-. 2,) and La Cepede, {Hist, des Poissons, Tome V. p. 74.) 

 Their fish is of a chocolate colour ; its lateral lines ascend to- 

 wards the shoulder ; and the number of rays in its fins is some- 

 what different from that of the fish in Bengal. The most 

 marked differences, however, to judge from the figure in Bloch, 

 are, that he represents the prickles of the pectoral fins as slen- 

 der, and without barbs. 



The Singio {Singgi) resembles, in manners, appearance, and 

 qualities, the three last described fishes ; but, being reckoned 

 highly nutritious, so that it is eagerly sought after by nurses, 

 and by men worn out with too great an indulgence of their pas- 

 sions, it is seldom found fully grown. On account of its quali- 

 ties, perhaps, many of the Pagans abstain from it, when about 

 to perform any religious ceremony. 



The Singio is occasionally found a foot and a half in length j 

 but a foot is its more ordinary dimensions. It has much of the 

 eel in its /orm, and is of a dirty green colour, with reddish fins. 

 On each side it has a faint yellowish longitudinal stripe above 

 the lateral line, and another below that organ. 



The head is very blunt, slopes a little toward the mouth, and 

 is small, depressed, and covered by a smooth bone, which ter- 

 minates behind in three sharp points, of which the middle one 

 is by much the smallest. On its summit are two oblong cavities, 

 the foremost of which, placed between the eyes, is the longest. 

 All the tendrils are awl-shaped, and longer than the head : the 

 two from the corners of the mouth, and the four from the chin, 

 extend to about the end of the pectoral fins ; but the two at the 

 hinder nostrils are shorter than the others. The mouth is of a 

 moderate size, and extends directly backward. The jarvs are 

 nearly equal in length. The lips are fleshy. In each jaw are 

 crowded many minute sharp teeth. The tongue is blunt, and 

 smooth. The foremost aperture of each nostril, situated at the 



