668 FISHES. 



which are the continuations of the rami anteriores of the 

 spinal nerves. In their course they give out branches to the 

 muscles of the back, and to the skin of the animal. In the 

 Gymnotus, as in the Torpedo, the nerves supplying the electric 

 , organs are much larger than those bestowed on any part for 

 the purposes of sensation or movement. 



The graphic description by Humboldt of the capture of 

 Electric Eels by horses driven into the water, wliich would 

 receive the electric discharges and thus exhaust the fishes, 

 seems to rest either on the imagination of some person who 

 told it to the great traveller or on some isolated incident. 

 Eecent travellers have not been aljle to verify it even in the 

 same parts of the country where the practice was said to 

 exist. 



Thiiitieth Family — Symbkanchid.^. 



Body elongate, naked or covered with minute seales ; barbels 

 none. Margin of the wpjier jaw formed by the intermaxillaries 

 only, the ivell developed maxillaries lying behind and parallel 

 to them. Paired fins none. Vertical fins rudimentary, reduced 

 to more or less distinct cntaneous folds. Vent situated at a 

 great distance behind the head. Bibs present. Gill-openings 

 confiuent into one slit situated on the ventral surface. Air- 

 bladder none. Stomach ivithout ceeeed sac or pyloric appen- 

 dages. Ovaries with ovidMcts. 



The fishes of this family consist of freshwater-fishes from 

 tropical America and Asia, which, however, enter also 

 brackish water; and of a truly marine genus from Australia. 



Amphipnous. — Vent in the posterior half of the body, which 

 is covered with minute scales longitudinally arranged. 



A common fish {A. cuchia) in Bengal, remarkable for its 

 singular respiratory apparatus. It has only three branchial 

 arches, with rudimentary branchial laminie, and with very 

 narrow slits between the arches. To supplement this in- 



