﻿352 ■ GANGETic FISHES. Order V. 



in the middle between the vent and end of the tail, has eight 

 rays like those of the back. The tail fin is rounded, and has 

 seventeen rays. 



3d Species. — Cobitis cucura. 



A Cobitis with prickles below the eyes ; with six tendrils ; 

 with cloud-like marks on the body ; and with nine rays in the 

 dorsal, and six in each ventral fin. 



I found this fish in the river Kosi, where it seldom reaches 

 three inches in length. The form is compressed. The sides 

 are of a white colour, below is somewhat diaphanous, above is 

 dotted. The back and sides are clouded with five irregular 

 transverse dark bars, alternating with an equal number of large 

 irregular dark spots. 



The head is narrower than the body, and blunt. Beneath 

 each eye are two short prickles. The under jaw is narrow. 

 The nostrils are in the middle, between the nose and eyes, 

 which are near each other, and have the longest axis of their 

 pupils vertical. The gill-covers are dotted, and expose to view 

 their membranes, in which no rays are discernible. 



The lateral line runs straight above the middle of the side. 

 The whole skin is devoid of distinguishable scales, nor above 

 the ventral fin is there any appendant. 



The dorsal fin is behind the middle : the two first of its rays 

 are short and undivided, and the others are branched. The 

 pectoral fins are much smaller than the head, and are low down : 

 each contains about nine rays. The interior rays of each ven- 

 tral fin are longer than the exterior, which I do not recollect 

 having seen in any other fish. There are seven rays in the 

 anal fin, and fifteen in that of the tail, which is rounded. 



