560 Mr. C. T. Regan on the 



mesocoracoid present ; hypocoracoids interlocking below. 

 Vertebra? 46 to 81 (16-19 + 30-65); ribs attached to long 

 parapophyses ; anterior ramus of parapophysis of fourth 

 vertebra decurved, rigidly attached to the stem of supra- 

 cleithrum, more or less expandedj together with expanded 

 processes of the aortic ridges supporting the anterior wall of 

 the large free air-bladder. 



Marine fishes of the Indo-Pacific, entering rivers, and with 

 some permanently fluviatile species. 



Genera : Eumeda, Neosilwus, Copidoglanis, Plotosus, 

 Cnidoglanis, Euristhmus. 



Family 5. Siluridae. 



Body naked, elongate ; gill-membranes free from isthmus. 

 Dorsal fin, when present, small, without spine ; no adipose 

 fin ; anal very long, many-rayed, ending close to the caudal 

 or continuous with it ; pelvics 6- to 14-rayed. Anterior and 

 posterior nostrils wide apart; no nasal barbel ; maxillary and 

 often one or two pairs of mandibulary barbels. Teeth in 

 jaws and often on palate. Palatine short and broad, articu- 

 lating with an antero-lateral facet of the lateral ethmoid ; 

 pterygoid absent ; mesopterygoid small, connecting the large 

 metapterygoid with the vomer ; hyomandibular with a broad 

 head, articulating with pterotic and sphenotic. Lateral 

 ethmoid with a projection for the attachment of the prae- 

 orbital and with a slender posterior extension which meets a 

 similar forward extension of the sphenotic, so that the 

 frontal has no free edge. Post-temporal absent ; upper limb 

 of supra-cleithrum wedged between pterotic and epiotic, 

 lower running to basioccipital ; mesocoracoid present ; 

 hypocoracoids tapering forward below, not forming a sym- 

 physis. Vertebrae 52 to 74 (10-16 + 41-58); ribs attached 

 to long parapophyses ; sixth vertebra free ; anterior and 

 posterior rami of parapophysis of fourth vertebrae connected 

 at the base only, the anterior stout, firmly attached to the 

 limb of supra-cleithrum ; air-bladder free, usually large. 



Fresh-water fishes of Europe and Asia. 



The genera may be arranged thus : — 



I. Eye above tlie level of the mouth ; hypocoracoids slender. 



Sihinis, Parasilurus, Silurichthys, Wallago, Belodontichthys. 



II. Eye behind the angle of mouth ; hypocoracoids expanded. 



CallichrouSf Cryptoptei'us, Hemisilurus. 



This family has usually been united with the Schilbeidse, 

 but the two have very little in common beyond the elonga- 



