198 



Records of the Indian Mtiseuiii. 



[Vol. XIX, 



II — 13! times. The eye is very small, situated on the dorsal 

 aspect of the head and looks outwards and upwards ; its diameter 

 is contained 6^ times in the length of the head, which is almost 

 as broad as long. The diameter of the eye is contained 3|-times 

 in the length of the snout and 2| times in the interorbital width. 



Barbels :— There are six short, fairly thick barbels ; four 

 rostral and one at each angle of the mouth. The integument of the 

 spaces between the barbels is thickened and sometimes it becomes . 

 very difficult to see them. Those near the angle of the mouth are 

 sometimes sunk in grooves and become almost imperceptible. 



A. 



Fig. I. — Balitora briicei, Gray and Hardwicke. 



A. Lateral view (nat. size). 



B. Ventral view of head and chest X i; 



C. Dorsal view of head x i\. 



Fins : — The pectoral and the ventral fins are greatly expand- 

 ed and have thick cushion-like longitudinal pads of muscle on 

 the ventral aspect of the simple rays. In the pectoral fin there 

 are 21 rays in all, and either 9 or 10 of these may be simple. 

 The first of these simple ra3^s is greath^ expanded and horizontally 

 striated. The two first rays of the eleven of the ventral fin are 

 simple. The two lobes of the caudal fin are unequal, the lower 

 lobe being much the longer. 



Scales ; — Lepidosis is normal with the exception of the chest 

 and belly. The scales are small and their number along the 

 lateral line varies from 62 to 69. 



A scale from the dorsal surface is squarish with almost 

 central nucleus and about a dozen circular striae, which are 



