﻿216 GANGETic FISHES. Order V. 



above half that size. It is found in the fresh water rivers of 

 Bengal. The length, in proportion to the breadth, is less than 

 in any of the subsequent species. It is compressed at the 

 sides, scabrous, dotted, above greenish, and beneath silver co- 

 loured, without stripes of different shades. 



The head slopes gradually in the same line with the back. 

 The moidli opens directly backward. The^'aws are very nearly 

 equal in length, the upper one having a notch to receive the 

 ridge on the lower. Each nostril has two small apertures half 

 way between the eyes and jaws. The eyes are a little convex, 

 and of moderate size, and have circular pupils. Each gill-cover 

 has three plates concealing the membrane, which contains six 

 ravs. 



The back and belly are nearly equally prominent, and the 

 tail, both above and below, contracts suddenly at the fin be- 

 hind the vent. There is, properly speaking, no lateral line, but 

 some radiating lines on each scale form a kind of longitudinal 

 streaks, that somewhat represent several lateral lines on each 

 side. The scales, both on the head and body, adhere firmly, 

 and are large, dotted, and indented on the edges. 



The foremost fin of the back is a little behind the ventrals, 

 and slopes very much from the first ray, the edge of each in- 

 terposed membrane forming a concavity. It has four slender 

 prickles. The hinder fin is rather behind that of the vent, and 

 slopes much backward from the second ray, which is much 

 longer than the first, both being undivided, while the other 

 seven are branched. The pectoral fins are half way up the 

 sides, and are sharp above, and rather shorter than the head. 

 Each contains fourteen rays. The ventral fins are smaller than 

 the pectorals, each having six rays, of which the first is undi- 

 vided. The fin behind the vent slopes backward from the 

 third ray, which, with the first and second, are undivided. 



