406 TELEOSTEI. PIITSOSTOMI. 



has D. 17, A. 24. No ventral fins are shown, and the vent is 

 placed in the centre of the length of the body. Dorsal fin com- 

 mences slightly in advance of the anal and in the commencement 

 of last third of the total length ; caudal forked. Colour a row of 

 black spots along the edge of the abdomen. Sufficient details are 

 not given to enable one to decide on the position it should hold. 

 In the absence of ventral fins, which may have been overlooked, 

 it somewhat approaches the Leucopsarion petersii of Hilgendorf . 



'* 



Family VIII. NOTOPTERID.E. 



Pseudobranchia3 absent. Body compressed. Tail prolonged, 

 tapering. Margin of the upper jaw formed by the premaxillaries 

 mesially and the maxillaries laterally. No subopercle. A parieto- 

 mastoid cavity on either side of the head connected with the 

 interior of the skull. Barbels absent. Dorsal fin, if present, 

 single, and belonging to the caudal portion of the vertebral column ; 

 ventrals rudimentary or absent; anal fin with numerous rays and 

 confluent with the caudal. Head and body with small scales. 

 Lateral line present. Abdominal edge serrated in front of the 

 ventral fins. Stomach without any blind sac. Two pyloric appen- 

 dages. Air-bladder present, and subdivided internally. The ova 

 fall into the cavity of the abdomen before exclusion. 



1. Genus NOTOPTERUS, Lacopede. 

 Syn. Mystus, sp., Ham. Buch. ; Xenomystus, Giinther. 



Branchiostegals from 3 to 9. Gill-membranes partly united. 

 Snout obtuse, convex. Muciferous channels on head well 

 developed. Preopercle and occasionally some of the other bones 

 of the head serrated. Teeth in jaws, vomer, palatine and sphenoid 

 bones, also on the tongue. Intestines short. Csecal pylori long. 



Geographical Distribution. Fresh and brackish waters of West 

 Africa, also of the continent of India and the Malay Archipelago. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



Maxilla not extending beyond hind edge of orbit . . 1. N. kapirat, p. 406. 

 Maxilla extending far beyond hind edge of orbit . . 2. N. chitala, p. 407. 



519. (1.) Notopterus kapirat. (Fig. 129.) 



Gymnotus notopterus, Pallas, Spic. Zool. vii. p. 40, t. vi, fig. 2. 

 Notopterus kapirat, Lacep. H. N. Poiss. ii. p. 190 ; Dai/, Fish. India. 

 p. (353, pi. clix, tig. 4 (see synon.). 



