372 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE 
of 8 rays, long, edge straight and sloping rapidly ; ventral fins situated very far back, of 
6 rays, first ray bony and serrated on the posterior edge ; anal fin of 12 rays; second 
dorsal fin a long, thin, fleshy excrescence, terminating in a blunt point: tail crescent- 
shaped, approaching to forked, of 24 rays, including minute rays at the base of the 
longest and first ray ; upper lobe the largest. Head remarkably flat and elongated ; 
snout quite rounded and furnished with 8 cirri, 4 from the upper and 4 from the lower 
jaw; a bony plate on the head singularly marked with lines in regular forms ; eyes 
far removed from the mouth. Fish long, somewhat roundish : colour, along the upper 
surface of the body, purplish grey, softening down to silvery on the lower surface : a cho- 
colate spot at the posterior junction of the second dorsal fin with the body. Length 83 
inches ; height 1} inch; but grows to a great size: has a silvery appearance. Flesh 
heating, and not brought to the tables of Europeans. Two of the feelers of the upper 
jaw two-thirds of the length of the fish. This fish is remarkable for having the first 
ray of the ventral fins, as well as that of the pectoral, serrated posteriorly, and the first 
dorsal spine not serrated. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Poona. The Mahratta 
name is ‘ Seenghala.’ 
It is closely allied to the Pimelodus Olor of Hamilton. Russell has not any fish 
resembling it. Bloch’s Silurus fasciatus (866) has the form of the Seenghala, and it is 
closely allied to species of the genus Sorubim of Spix (Tab. 13, 14 and 15.). The Seen- 
ghala would be a Bagrus of Cuvier. 
Genus PHracToOcEPHALUS. 
Phractocephalus appears to be a very valid genus of Agassiz in the ‘ Brazilian Fishes.’ 
Its chief features are the armature of the head, the elongated and pointed shoulder- 
blade, and the doubly-serrated, flat, bone-like first ray of the pectorals. 
Genus Puractoceruatus, Agassiz. Prrarara of Spix. 
PHRACTOCEPHALUS KuTURNEE. 
Tab. LXV. Fig. 3. 
A Phractocephalus, with 6 cirri, 2 of which only are longer than the head ; the first pectoral spine serrated 
on both edges; the first dorsal spine on the posterior edge only ; these two spines terminating in a fila- 
ment; the shoulder-bone elongated into a point behind. Dorsal fin of 7 rays; pectoral of 9 rays; 
ventral fin small, of 7 rays; second dorsal replaced by a small adipose fin. 
Fish oblong, subrotund, bluish, with a golden reflection along the back, silvery towards 
the abdomen. Mouth furnished with 6 cirri, 2 on the upper lip (the longest reaching 
as far as two-thirds of the length of the pectoral prickles), 2 on the under jaw, and 2 
capillary cirri issuing from the nostrils : eyes remarkable for being covered with a case 
in which there is only a minute oblong aperture for the sight, the greatest diameter 
being horizontal. Dorsal fin of 7 rays, first ray a strong bone, 17 inch long, serrated 
