1920.] B. Prashad : Indian Torpedinidae. 99 



papillae, proportionately much smaller tail, by general colouration 

 and a much heavier build. 



Narcine, Henle. 



1878. Narcine, Day, Fishes of India II, p. ']^'^- 

 1909. Narcine, Annandale, Op. cit., p. 43. 

 IQ13, Narcine, Garman, Op. cit., p. 246. 



In the paper cited Annandale recorded three species of this 

 genus from Indian seas, viz. N . timlei, N. hrunnea and N. mollis. 

 Garman, however, has shown that the true N . timlei is not an 

 Indian form, being confined to the Bast Indies and Japan. He 

 thinks that the Indian species is what was described as T. indica 

 by Henle, ^ a conclusion with which I agree. In the same work he 

 has also described a new species from Colombo, Ceylon under the 

 name iV. fir ma. I have not seen this form, there being no repre- 

 sentatives of it in the Calcutta collection. 



Garman, in his key for the identification of the various species 

 of the genus Narcine, states that in N. tasmaniensis and N . mollis 

 the spiracles are " at a short distance from the orbits," whereas 

 in his description of A^. mollis he describes them as being "near 

 the orbits." LlyodMnthe original description states that they 

 are situated close to the orbits and this is the condition in the 

 unique type, which I have examined. Garman's key in view of 

 the above is incorrect. The four Indian species can, however, be 

 distinguished from one another as follows : — 



I Origin of first dorsal opposite the ends of ventrals. 



(i) Dorsal surface spotted .. ... N. indica. 



(\\) Dorsal surface uniform brown , . ... N. hrunnea. 



II Origin of first dorsal slightly behind the ends of the: ven- 

 trals, dorsal and ventral surfaces of the body uniformly 

 coloured ... ... ... ... A'', mollis. 



Ill Origin of first dorsal behind the ends of the ventrals by 



about its own basal length ... ... ... N jirma. 



Narcine indica, Henle. 

 (Plate VII, figs. 4-9). 



1834. Narcine indica, Henle, Op. cit., p. 35, pi. ii. fig. 2. 



1841. Narcine indica, Miiller and Henle, Plagiostomes, p. 130. 



1878. Narcine timlei, Day, Op. cit., p. 733 (in part, not the figure). 



1909. Narcine timlei, Annandale, Op. cit., p. 44. 



1913. Narcine itidica, Garman, Op. cit., p. 209. 



Annandale pointed out in his paper the confusion made by 

 Day in including two distinct species in his discription and figure 

 of N. timlei, and separated the uniformly coloured Indian species 

 under the name A^. hrunnea^ retaining the name iV. timlei for the 

 spotted form. This latter, however, as has been pointed out above, 

 should be known as N. indica. 



i Ueber Narcine, p. 35, pi. ii, fig. 2 (1834J. 

 ■^ Rec. Ind. Miis, I, p. 8 (1907). 



