28. BAGRUS. 09 



Fourth Subfamily. 



SILURIDiE PROTEROPTERvE. 



The rayed dorsal fin is always present, short, with not more than 

 twelve soft rays, and belongs to the abdominal portion of the 

 vertebral column, being placed in advance of the ventrals. The 

 adipose fin is always present and well developed, although fre- 

 quently short. The extent of the anal is much inferior to that 

 of the caudal vertebral column. The gill-membranes are not con- 

 fluent with the skin of the isthmus, their posterior margin always 

 remaining free, even if they are united with each other. Whenever 

 the nasal barbel is present, it belongs to the posterior nostril. 



Sixth Group. BAGRINA. 



The anterior and posterior nostrils are remote from each other, 

 and the posterior is provided with a barbel. 



a. Teeth on the palate present (Bagrina). Old World. 



28. BAGRUS. 



Bagrus, sp., Cuv. fy Val. xv. p. 388. 



Bagrus, Bleek. Nederl Tydschr. Dierk. 1863, p. 20. 



Adipose fin long : a short dorsal with a pungent spine and with 

 nine or ten soft rays ; anal fin short, with less than twenty rays. 

 Barbels eight. Teeth on the palate in a continuous band. The 

 upper jaw is the longer. Eyes with a free orbital margin. Caudal 

 forked ; ventral with six rays. 



Nile. 



1. Bagrus bayad. 



Silurus bajad, Forsk. p. 60; Bl. Schn. p. 388. 



Bayatte, Sonnini, pi. 27 (bad). 



Porcus bayad, Geoffr. Descr. Eg. Poiss. pi. 15. fig. 1. 



Bagrus bayad, Cuv. ty Val. xiv. p. 397. 



? Pimelodus aor, Cuv. Regnc Anim. III. Poiss. pi. 90. fig. 2. 



B. 13. D. 1/10. A. 13-14. P. 1/9. V. 6. Vert. 16-17/34*. 



The length of the head is contained thrice and three-fourths in 

 the total. Head broader than high, its greatest width being not 

 quite one-half of its length. Snout spatulate, its. length being one- 

 third of that of the head ; the upper jaw is slightly the longer. The 

 maxillary barbels very long, extending to the middle of the adipose 



* The united three or 'four anterior vertebra 1 are counted as one. 



