18 NATURAL HISTORY. 



the " Karli" (CJtirocentrus dorab), which may be described as a sort 

 of solitary and predatory herring. It is very long-shaped, with a 

 sort of bull-head, and formidable teeth, which it uses very freely. 

 The second, the Notopterldoe, has only two fishes, the queer 

 " wainbhs/' (Notopterus kapirat and N. chitala), both fresh-water 

 forms, mentioned before as known in Deccan waters. They are 

 fair eating, and bite freely at a worm or bit of meat, but show no 

 fight. In Upper India they are said to have an unholy taste for 

 human flesh, but as we don't in these parts ground-bait our sacred 

 streams with roasted humanity, we need not mind such a trifle here. 

 The next family, that of the Symbranchidce, is not, I think, 

 represented in our waters. It has few members, queer eel- shaped 

 fish mostly capable of breathing air. At least one species, 

 Amphipnous cuchia, can remain torpid in mud for a long period. 



We now come to the true eels, or Murcenidve. I have only got 

 one species of fresh-water eel in the Konkan, Anguilla bengal ensis, 

 which very much resembles the English eel, but has rather more 

 variety of colour, mottlings and shadings of olive brown along the 

 sides. It reaches about 5 lbs. weight, perhaps more. It is usually 

 caught by the natives on trimmers, and is very fair eating, but is 

 not common. 



The sea-eels are very numerous in species and individuals. 

 The commonest are the " Isars" (Murcena), of which one species, 

 (If. tesselata), is very beautifully reticulate. They haunt reefs, and 

 are often taken with the hook and line. The same remarks apply 

 to the genus Uroconger, of which we have but one species, the 

 " Mulan" (U. Upturns). 



The Murcenesoces, or Eel-pikes, are fishes of deeper water and 

 muddy bottoms, but often swim near the surface. They are remark- 

 able for their large size and formidable dentition. Miir&nesox 

 telabon, the " Waw," or " fathom-fish," is said to reach 10 ft. long, 

 and its jaws are fully one-eighth of the total length, and studded with 

 long and sharp fangs. Besides the jaw-teeth, most of these sea-eels 

 have a central row of still more powerful fangs on the palate, and 

 their bite is much dreaded by fishermen. 



We have in our Museum specimens of several species, and of the 

 spawn. They are nearly all fairly good second-rate fish for the 

 table. 



Here we come to the end of the order of Physostomi, and begin 

 with the Lophobranchii, or armour-clad fishes, most of which are 



