﻿Mystus. GANGETIC FISHES. 235 



of the tail, which ends in a sharp point, so as to form only one 

 fin, which contains about one hundred and eleven rays. 



2d Species. — Mystus kapirat. 



A Mystus with the upper jaw unarmed, and with two rays in 

 the united ventral fins. 



This fish is the Gymnotus kapirat of Bonnaterre, {Tahl. 

 Encycl. p. 37, PI. XXV. Fig. 83,) and the Notopterus Jcapirat of 

 La Cepede, {^Hist. des Poissons, Tome II. p. 190.) I have al- 

 ready mentioned the reason why I class it with the genus 

 Mystus. I am unwilling to change the specific name adopted 

 by two authors of reputation, although it is somewhat barbarous. 

 Pholoe, the Bengalese name, would perhaps be more suitable. 



The Pholoe is found in both ponds and rivers of fresh water 

 in Bengal. In the former it is often a foot in length ; in rivers 

 it sometimes reaches to thrice that dimension. It contains too 

 many bones to be considered good for eating. The colour 

 above is green, on the sides and belly silver, with a black spot 

 on each side, at the upper extremity of the gill-covers. The 

 eyes are white. 



The head is oval, rather narrower than the body, scaly, and 

 rather blunt. On each side are four shining spaces devoid of 

 scales. The first, above the eye, is lai'ge and oblong ; the se- 

 cond, behind the angle of the mouth, is oblong, and indented 

 on the edge ; the third is above the second, and is kidney- 

 formed ; and the fourth, behind the eye, is small and semicir- 

 cular. The mouth is large, and descends obliquely. The un- 

 der edge of the under Jam is indented. The bones of the up- 

 per lip are quite entire. In the upper jaw are scattered some 

 teeth ; those in the under jaw are sharp, and disposed in a row. 

 The tongue is blunt, thick, and free, with a furrow toward its 

 point, and a margin on each edge of the root. On the tip are 



