SILURUS. SILURE. 



Generic Character. 



Caput magnum, depressum. 



Os amplum, cirrislongis ten- 

 taculatum. 



Corpus elongatum, nudum : 

 pinnarum pectoralium, aut 

 dorsalis prioris radius pri- 

 mus retro dcntatus. 



Head large, depressed. 



Mouth wide, bearded by 

 long tentacula. 



Body lengthened, naked: 

 first ray of the pectoral 

 fins, or of the first dorsal 

 Jin, toothed backwards. 



EUROPEAN SILURE. 



Silurus Glanis. 5. olivaccus, pinna dorsali minima, anali ad 

 cawlam continvata. 



Olivaceous Silure, with very small dorsal fin, and anal fin con- 

 tinued to the tail. 



Silurus Glanis. S. pinna dorsali mica mutica, cirris sex. Lin. 

 Syst. Nat. p. 501. 



Silurus Glanis. Block, t. 34. Meiding Austr. t. Q. 



JL HE great or common Silure may perhaps be 

 considered as the largest of all European river 

 fishes ; growing to the length of eight, ten, or even 

 fifteen feet, and to the weight of three hundred 

 pounds. Its more general length however is from 

 two to three or four feet. The head is broad and 

 depressed; the body thick and of a lengthened 

 form, with the abdomen very thick and short. It 

 is a fish of a remarkably inert or sluggish disposition, 



