SILURID.E. 115 



Mr. Kitchen Parker, F.R.S. (on the shoulder-girdle, Bay Society, 

 1868, p. 29), observed of the air-bladder and its surroundings in 

 Clarias : " The remarkable trumpet-shaped cavities belong to the 

 atlas and axis vertebrae, and they are strongly attached to the 

 post-temporals and clavicles at their point of junction ; they lodge 

 the lateral cornua of the three-lobed air-bladder. These cavities 

 are very imperfect below ; but this deficiency is largely supple- 

 mented by a transverse splint on each side, attached below to the 

 anterior edge of the great cylinder of the atlas. There is a smaller 

 splint in each cavity, and two smaller splints eke out the mouth of 

 each of these trumpets. The large obliquely transverse splints 

 (they are sometimes turned backwards) meet within a line and a 

 half below the centrum of the atlas, between and behind the splints. 

 This and the next centrum are deeply grooved." 



Geographical Distribution. Throughout Africa and "Western Asia 

 to India, Ceylon, Burma, Siam, the Malay Archipelago, Hong Kong, 

 the Philippines and beyond. These fish being amphibious, live for 

 some time after removal from their native element. 



Uses. Considered by the natives of India as exceedingly wholesome 

 and invigorating. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



D. 62-70, A. 45-58. Vomerine teeth villiform. 1. C. magur, p. 115. 

 1). 70-77, A. 53-63. Vomerine teeth obtuse. 2. C. teysinanni, p. 11G. 

 D. C9-70, A. 50-59. Pectoral spine externally 



serrated. Vomerine teeth very obtuse .... 3. C. dussumieri, p. 117. 

 D. 64-08, A. 46-50. Vomerine teeth obtuse 



and in two pyriform bands 4. C. assamensis, p. 117. 



Macropteronotus jagur of Hamilton Buchanan, Fish. Ganges, 

 pp. 1-15, 374, appears to be a monstrosity of Clarias mayur, in 

 which the last few vertebrae have been accidentally lost or removed, 

 and the new caudal fin has become continuous with the dorsal fin 

 superiorly and the anal inferiorly. 



121. (1.) Clarias magnr. (Figs. 48, 49.) 



Macroptercnotus magur, Ham. Such. Fish. Ganges, pp. 146, 374, 



pi. xxvi, fig. 45. 

 Clarias magur, Day, Fish. India, p. 485, pi. cxii, fig. 5 (see synon.). 



Ku(/-(/a, Punj. ; Mah-oiir, Beng. ; Mftyunth, Ooriah ; Nya-khoo, Bur- 

 mese and Mugh. ; " Munyri, Patna, and Monghir, II. Buch. " ; Marpoo, 

 Tel. 



B. ix. D. 62-76. P. 1/8-11. V. 6. A. 45-58. C. 15-17. 



Length of head to end of gill-covers 5f , of caudal fin 8^, height 

 of body 6| to 7| in the total length. Eyes diameter 8 in the 

 length of the head, 2 to 2 diameters from the end of the snout, 

 the width of the interorbital space equals one half the length of 

 the head. The greatest width of the head equals its length. 



i 2 



