﻿156 GANGETic FISHES. Order V. 



est, and contains seventeen distinct rays, with two minute ones 

 at each side. 



8th Species. — Silurus garua. Plate XXI. Fig. 50. 



A Silurus with the fin of the tail divided into two lobes ; with 

 eight tendrils ; and with eight rays in the back fin, and twenty- 

 nine in that of the vent. 



The Garua is common in the fresh water rivers of the Gan- 

 getic provinces, often grows to two feet in length, and by the 

 natives is considered as good eating. It has little or none of 

 that lurid appearance to which many kindred fishes are liable, 

 but differs more than the Boalis from the Pahda. The prevail- 

 ing colour is silver, with green on the back. The fins are dia- 

 phanous, that on the back and the pectorals being dotted, and 

 that of the tail being edged with black. The head and shoulders 

 have a golden gloss. The fish is- compressed at the sides, and 

 of a long lance shape, tapering very gradually both to head and 

 tail. 



The head is oval, blunt, of a moderate size, and rather wider 

 than the body, but by no means flattened above. Between the 

 eyes there is a longitudinal cavity extending to the nostrils. 

 There are eight tendrils : one pair, from above the hinder aper- 

 tures of the nostrils, extend only to the eyes ; the second pair, 

 from the sides of the upper jaw, extend to the end of the ven- 

 tral fins ; the other two pair, coming from the chin, extend to 

 the end of the head. The mouth, placed a little below the end 

 of the nose, is large, and extends straight backward. The up- 

 per ^aw is rather the longest. The upper lip has two small 

 cartilages. The teeth, in both jaws, are granular, and crowded 

 together. On the fore part of the palate is a kidney-shaped 

 bone, covered with teeth like those in the jaws. The tongue is 

 blunt, tied down, and smooth. The foremost aperture of each 



