FISHES. APODES. 



S. rostratus, Bloch. Body cylindrical, slender, pale brown ; no pec- 

 toral fins, and the vertical ones appearing only towards the tail. 

 9 inches long. Inhabits Indian seas. Shaw, iv. pi. 5. 



S. imberbis, Laroche. Body slender, elongated, almost cylindrical, 

 violet gray, with brownish specks; belly white; head small, snout 

 pointed and without cirri ; pectoral tins very small. 12 inches 

 long. Inhabits Mediterranean sea. An. Mus. xiii. pi. 25, tig. 18. 



Gen. 6. APTERICHTHUS, Dumeril. Sphagebranchus, Bloch. 



Body extremely elongated, very slender, almost cylindrical, 

 slightly flattened below; destitute of fins and scales; head with 

 rounded pores ; eyes not perceptible ; snout pointed and flat- 

 tened ; mouth small ; teeth subulate, pointed, bent back ; an- 

 terior teeth of the upper jaw largest ; branchial openings on 

 the neck below. 



A. ccecus, Dum. Body uniform brown colour, with some blackish 

 spots on the head ; lateral line scarcely visible. 18 inches long. 

 Inhabits Mediterranean sea. An. Mus. xiii. pi. 21, fig. 6. 



Gen. 7. SYNBRA^CHUS, Bloch. 



Branchiae with a single opening under the throat ; no pectoral 

 fins, and the vertical ones almost entirely adipose ; head large ; 

 snout rounded ; teeth obtuse ; six branchial rays. 



S. marmoratus, Bloch. Back deep olive, with dusky spots ; belly 

 and sides yellowish, with spots of a violet tinge; dorsal fin extreme- 

 ly remote from the head. 2^ feet long. Inhabits fresh waters 

 in Surinam. Sharv, iv. pi. 4. 



S. immaculatus, Bloch. Similar to the preceding in form, but smaller, 

 of a brown colour, and without spots. Inhabits Surinam. Block, 

 pi. 419. 



Gen. 8. ALABES, Cuv. 



A common opening in the throat for the branchiae ; a small 

 concave disc between the pectoral fins ; branchial operculum 

 with three rays ; teeth pointed. 



Only one species known, from the Indian seas. 



Gen. 9- GYMNOTUS, Lin. 



Branchial openings in part closed by a membrane opening be- 

 fore the pectoral fins ; anus placed much forwards, the anal 

 fin running along the greater part of the body ; no dorsal fin ; 

 skin without perceptible scales. 



G. electricus, Lin. The Electrical Gymnotus. Body long, nearly 

 of similar thickness throughout, brownish black ; head and tail 

 obtuse. 3 to 6 feet long. Inhabits rivers in South America 

 Shaw, iv. pi. 6. 

 This singular animal was first made known to the philosophers of Europe about 



the year 1671 by M. Richer, and its qualities more fully detailed afterwards by 



Condamine, Dr Bancroft, Mr Williamson, Dr Garden, and still later by John 



