FRESHWATER FISHES. 169 



ORDER, PHYSOSTOMI. 



FAMILY, SILURID^. 



16. Clarias macracant/iiis. Giinther. Cat. of Fishes, v., p. 16. The 

 Silurus. 



^ D. re, A. 55- V. ^, P. g. 



Plate XIX. Fig. i. 

 This most extraordinary fish is very abundant in the muddy bottoms, 

 and wherever there are flags or papyrus, both in the Lakes of Gennesaret 

 and Lal<e Huleh. It is also found in the Upper Nile, but differs from the 

 common species of the Lower Nile, C. angiiillaris. 



It is spoken of by Josephus as the Coracimis, and he mentions it as 

 inhabiting the fountain of Capernaum, and coming thither by a subter- 

 ranean communication from the Nile. As it is equally abundant in all 

 the three fountains on the west of the lake, this statement of the historian 

 throws no light on the identification of the disputed site of Capernaum. 

 Beyond these warm fountains, one of the most curious natural features of 

 the lake, the Silurus does not appear to extend, probably because there 

 are few muddy bottoms anywhere else in the course of the Jordan suited 

 to its habits. 



I first obtained this fish in Ain Mudawarah, in the month of March, 

 and was surprised to find that some of the specimens exceeded three feet 

 in length, a size very rarely attained by the inhabitants of the lake itself. 

 Ain Mudawarah is a large circular basin of ancient masonry, thirty-six 

 yards in diameter, about a mile and a half from the lake, and immediately 

 under an intruding spur of the surrounding mountains. At the further 

 end of the basin there boils up a magnificent spring of clear water, which 

 fills the reservoir to the depth of from three to five feet, and at once forms 

 a little stream, which meanders through the dense brush down to the 

 lake. The fountain itself is almost buried in the oleanders and fig trees 

 which overshadow and screen it on all sides. It seems strange that so 

 vast a number of fish should live and attain such a great size in this little 

 confined basin. The mystery was explained to me when crossing this 



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