30 SILTrRID^. 



Second Subfamily. 



SILUEID^E HETER,OPTER,E. 



The rayed dorsal fin is very little developed, and if it is present, 

 it belongs to the abdominal portion of the vertebral colnmn ; the 

 adipose fin is exceedingly small or absent. The extent of the anal 

 is not mnch inferior to that of the candal vertebral column. The 

 gill-membranes overlap the isthmus, remaining more or less 

 separate. 



Fourth Group. SILURINA. 

 The ventral fins are behind or below the dorsal. 

 Old World. 



7. SACCOBRANCHUS. 



Saccobranchus, Cuv. $• Val. xv. p. 399. 

 Heteropneustes, Mutter. 



Adipose fin none ; dorsal very short, without pungent spine, 

 placed above the ventrals; anal very long. Jaws and vomer with 

 bands of villiform teeth ; cleft of the mouth transverse, anterior, 

 of moderate width ; barbels eight. Eyes rather small. The upper 

 and lateral parts of the head osseous, or covered with a very thin 

 skin. Gill-membranes separated by a deep notch ; gill-cavity with 

 an accessory posterior sac, extending backwards between the muscles 

 along each side of the abdominal and caudal portions of the vertebral 

 column. Ventrals six-rayed. 



East Indian continent and Ceylon. 



1. Saccobranchus singio. 



Silurus singio, Ham. Buck. Fish. Gang. pp. 147, 374. pi. 37. fig. 46. 

 Saccobranchus singio, Cuv. Sf Val. xv. p. 400 (pi. 448*). 



B. 7. D. 6-7. A. 68-70. P. 1/6. V. 6. 



The height of the body is contained seven times and a half in the 

 total length (without caudal), the length of the head (to the end of 

 the operculum) six times and a third. Eye of moderate size, about 

 half as long as the snout. The maxillary barbels extend to, or some- 

 what beyond, the extremity of the pectorals. The distance of the 

 dorsal fin from the end of the snout is rather less than one-third of 

 the total length (without caudal). Pectoral spine rather strong, its 

 length being three-quarters of that of the head • the ventral fin 



* This plate may represent a specimen of 8. fossilis. 



