348 
a. Dorsal spine about as long as head, about equal to 
pectoral spine; width of mouth about equal toeye B. macropterus p. 349. 
6, Dorsal spine much longer than head and than 
pectoral spine, width of mouth much less than 
twice sthesqiametersolsevierm- as tnem- seni arenas B. macracanthus p. 350. 
I. Bagroides melapterus Blkr. 
Bagroides melapterus Bleeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Indié, II. 1851, p. 204. 
Bagroides melanopterus Bleeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Indié, III. 1852, p. 413. — 
Ichth. Arch. Ind. Prodr. I. Siluri, 1858, p. 134. — Atl. Ichth. II. 1862, p. 51. 
Bagroides melanopterus Giinther, Cat. Brit. Mus. V. 1864, p. go. 
Fig. 147. Bagroides melapterus Blkr. and upper view of pectoral fin. 
B:. 7-83 DI. 73s 6 Ig eo. One Vien 
Robust, rather short, covered by velvety skin. Dorsal profile 
of head convex, ascending steeply to the dorsal. Height 3*/,—4; 
head 4'/, to nearly 5, as high as broad, somewhat pointed 
anteriorly, covered by thick skin, less thick on occipital pro- 
cess, which is about thrice as long as broad at its base, only 
slightly tapering behind, its rounded posterior extremity touching 
the basal bone of the dorsal spine. Eye 5—6, situated at the 
end of the anterior half of the head, about 1'/, times in the 
thick, prominent snout or in the interorbital space. Lips very 
thick. Nasal barbels reaching on opercle, maxillary barbels on 
base of pectorals, mandibulary and mental ones shorter. Height 
of dorsal and its strong, flattened spine, the hindborder of which 
has strong teeth directed upwards, about equal to head. Adipose 
fin with free hindborder, its base about twice as long as that 
of dorsal, the distance between both equals the length of the 
dorsal. Anal lower than dorsal, its origin in the vertical through 
the end of the first '/, of the adipose fin. Ventrals not reaching 
