VOL. XLIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 66Q 



fins are 8 in number. Tsvo by the gills, each furnished with a strong saw-like 

 bone. Two small ones near the anus. One of 8 radii, situated half-way be- 

 tween the anus and the tail. One consisting of 7 radii on the back. Another 

 fin, of a membranous and fleshy texture, arises from the middle of the back, 

 and is continued all along to the tail. The tail is forked. It is found in the 

 river Coic at Aleppo, where the fish in general are extremely small, in propor- 

 tion to those of the same kinds found in other rivers, probably owing to the assi- 

 duity of the fishermen. It is called by the natives, zakzuk. 



Fig. 13 represents a fish, which in its general form somewhat resembles the 

 above. It is in length 3 inches. The head is rather flatter ; the mouth has a 

 more inferior situation, and is in proportion larger than that of the former fish ; 

 the eyes much smaller. The cirri, situated as in the other, are 8 in number, 

 but much shorter those that rise from the upper jaw (being the longest) mea- 

 suring only one inch ; they are also flatter at their origin. They both agree in 

 the number of their fins ; neither has the saw-like bone in the fin of the back, 

 but only in those near the gills. The fleshy fin of the back is much smallei" 

 than in the zakzuk, and rises at a much greater distance from the back fin. 

 The colour is a pale silver marbled with grey ; particularly the lower part of the 

 fins and tail. The 2 larger cirri likewise marbled, the others white. These 2 

 fishes (fig. 12, 13) have no scales, and the palate and other structure of the in- 

 side of the mouth is like that of the silurus. This fish is also from the river Coic. 



The fish fig. 14* has, on a slight view, so much the appearance of an eel, and, 

 except its not being so fat, eats so like that fish, that though it is much oftener 

 brought to the tables of the Europeans at Aleppo than any other fish found in 

 the river Coic, it has never been suspected of being any ways different from the 

 common eel ; and yet on examination it will be found of quite another genus. 



The head is long and small. The extremity of the upper jaw runs out to a 

 narrow point, like the bill of a bird ; on each side of which, a little distant from 

 the extreme point, are 2 tubuli, or processes. As in the common eel, there 

 are 2 fins at the gills. From the occiput, all along the ridge of the back, small 

 prickles are placed at little distances, resembling the teeth of a saw ; these termi- 

 nate at the origin of a membranous fin, rising about 4 inches from the tail, and 

 is continued, as in the eel, along the lower part of the belly to the anus, at 

 which place are also found 2 or 3 prickles. The colour of the head and back is 

 blackish, variegated with dark yellow spots. The lower belly white, changing 

 gradually into a yellowish cast. The fin of the lower belly, near the anus, is 

 yellow: the other half spotted with black. The length of the fish describetl was 

 11 inches. 



• Ophidium Maslacembalus, (Gen. Zool.) 



