﻿Clupanodon. gangetic fishes. 245 



blunt, and terminated by a deep notch. The under one is 

 sharp, and veiled by a projecting membrane. The bones of the 

 upper Up extend beyond the gap, are entire on the edges, and 

 widen towards the end, where they are rounded. The tongue is 

 free, smooth, blunt, and protuberant at the base. The jjalate is 

 smooth. The aperture of each nostril is oblong, nearer the jaw 

 than the eye, and covered by a membranous valve. The eyes 

 are far forward, and covered by a thick pellucid skin. The 

 longest diameter of the pupil is vertical. The gill-covers form 

 an arch behind, are shining, and devoid of scales ; and each con- 

 sists of four plates. They expose to view their membranes, each 

 containing six rays, of which the three uppermost are flat, the 

 middle one terminating blunt, as if cut across. The bones of 

 the gills are covered on the inside with a row of parallel teeth. 



The scales are oblong, striated, indented on the edges, and 

 easily rubbed off; the upper ones are dotted. The back and 

 belly are nearly equally arched. The back before the fin forms 

 a slight ridge. There is no lateral line. Above each pectoral 

 and ventral fin is a scale-like appendant. 



The back fin commences opposite to the ventrals, and ex- 

 tends to the commencement of the fin behind the vent. It 

 slopes gradually backward, is devoid of scales, and the three 

 first of its rays are undivided, lengthening gradually from the 

 first, which is very short ; the others are branched. The pec- 

 toral fins are much shorter than the head, low down, and sharp 

 above : each contains fifteen rays, of which one on each side is 

 undivided, and the intermediate ones are branched. The ven- 

 tral fins are very small, and stand remote both from each 

 other, and from the vent. The first ray of each is undivided, 

 and the others are branched. The fin behind the vent is at a 

 little distance both from that organ and from the end of the 

 tail, and is covered half way up with^ scales, forming a furrow, 



