38 SILTTRID^. 



12. EUTROPIICHTHYS. 



Eutropiichthys, Bleek. Nedeii. Tydschr. Dierk. 1803, p. 107. 



A very small adipose fin ; a short dorsal fin with a pungent spine ; 

 anal fin elongate, terminating at some distance from the caudal, which 

 is forked. Barbels eight. No teeth on the palate. Head covered with 

 skin. The lower jaw is the shorter. Neck not much elevated. The 

 eye is situated above the angle of the mouth. Ventral with six rays. 



East Indies. 



1. Eutropiichthys vacha. 



Pimelodus vacha, JIa7>i. Buck. pp. 196, 378. pi. 19. fig. 64. 

 Bagi-us vacha, Cuv. Sf Val. xiv. p. 392. 



D. 1/7. A. 50. 



Cleft of the mouth long, terminating below the eye ; the upper 

 jaw is rather the longer. Barbels not differing much in length from 

 one another, nearly equal to the length of the head. Dorsal and 

 pectoral spines moderately strong, serrated. The ventral is inserted 

 below the hinder part of the dorsal. (//. B.) 



Bengal. 



13. CRYPTOPTERUS. 



Kiyptopterus, Ki-yptopterichthys, Micronema, Phalacronotus, Hemi- 

 siluvus, sp., Bleek. Nederl. Tydschr. Dierk. 1863, p. 116. 



Dorsal fin quite rudimentary or entirely absent ; no adipose fin ; 

 the anal fin is very long, and terminates close to, or is continuous 

 with, the caudal, which is deeply forked. Two or four barbels : one 

 to each maxillary, and generally another pair on the chin, on a level 

 with the angles of the mouth ; the mandibulary barbels are frequently 

 minute, almost microscopic, and consequently are sometimes entirely 

 absent. Palatine teeth none ; vomerine teeth in a short transverse 

 band, which is generally not interrupted in the middle. Head covered 

 with skin ; mandibles without enlarged muciferous cavities. Ventrals 

 small and short, composed of from six to ten rays. Posterior nostrils 

 not dilated, and not closer together than the anterior. Eyes generally 

 large, always behind, or even partly below, the level of the cleft of the 

 mouth. Air-bladder transparent through the sides of the body. 



East Indies. 



Dr. V. Bleeker considers the presence or absence of a rudimentary 

 dorsal filament to be a character of sufiicient importance to base on it 

 two divisions — Kryptopterini and PhaJacronotini — an opinion which 

 I cannot share. Nor does it appear to me that the disappearance 

 of two microscopic barbels at the chin is of any systematic value. 

 These barbels are so rudimentary, that they were overlooked in some 

 instances by Dr. Bleeker himself. Thus, for instance, some of the 

 species of Kruptoptericlithys and all of Phalacronotus, two genera 

 said to be distinguished by the absence of mandibulary barbels, are 

 provided with them. 



We di\-ide the species into the following groups, to which we do 

 not attribute generic value : — 



