299 



gillmembrane. Height of dorsal, without the filamentous prolon- 

 gation of the first ray which may occur, nearly equal to head ; 

 upper border of dorsal strongly declivous. Dorsal spine flat, 

 serrated posteriorly, anteriorly only at its top; equal to head 

 from anterior nostril. Base of adipose fin much shorter than that 

 of dorsal, more than thrice in the distance between both. Anal 

 emarginate, its height somewhat more than postorbital part 

 of head. Caudal deeply forked, its median rays nearly 1 J 4 of 

 its pointed lobes. Ventrals very broad, rounded, extending 

 on anal. Pectorals slightly longer than head without snout, 

 their flattened spine similar to that of the dorsal but con- 



Fig. 123. Arius stirlingi Ogilby. About nat. size. 



siderably shorter. Axillary pore minute. Villiform teeth in 

 upper jaw in a slightly arcuate, broad band. In the lower jaw 

 in a divided, somewhat narrower band. Vomerine teeth in two 

 oval patches, separated by an interspace of half their width. 

 Palatine patches narrowly separated from and nearly twice 

 as wide as vomerine patches, they are ovate with the axes 

 directed obliquely antero-posteriorly. 1 1 stiff, flattened, trian- 

 gular gillrakers, ventrally decreasing rapidly in size, the longest 

 shorter than the branchial filaments. Dorsal surface dark reddish 



