598 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. X. 



Mustelus manazo, two young sharks, colourless, evidently taken 

 before birtli from the dead mother ; for these iish are viviparous. 



Great numbers of small sharks are taken to the market daily and 

 used for food by the poorer class of natives. 



The species of Astrape represented is a small yellowish fiat fish, 

 provided with an electric organ on its upper surface, which is nofe 

 strong enough to give anything more than a gentle shock, and is pro- 

 bably a " protective organ.'^ 



A specimen of Murcena undidata, one of the sea eels, is interesting, 

 showing the fish with a small octopus firmly held by its strong teeth 

 (originally the octopus was removed whole from the fish's stomach). 



There are two hea^s of Murcenesox talabonoides ; they show the for- 

 midable teeth in the jaws, making the name of " eel pike " very suit- 

 able. They are used for food, but are coarse eating. The " Siluroid *' 

 or scaleless fish, called commonly "Catfish," are provided with long 

 feelers round the mouth; almost all have strong bony barbed spines at the 

 commencement of the dorsal and pectoral fins, which frequently infiict 

 a serious wound ; those from Platossus arab and Saccohranchus fossilis are 

 particularly dreaded, though both fish are considered very good eating ; 

 the spines are cut off immediately after the fish is caught ; thus in 

 the market the specimens are always found mutilated. Many of the 

 " Cat fish " are exceedingly ugly to look at ; others which live on the 

 bottom in thick muddy water have the eyes skinned over or almost 

 atrophied. In these the barbels are most numerous, as in Chaca and 

 JEJxotoma^ neither being represented in the collection. 



Among the Carp family there is a species of Discognathus represent- 

 edj which I have been unable to determine. These fish are peculiar in 

 having a semi-oiroular mouth placed beneath the head and a suctorial 

 disc on the chin. They are found in fresh water. 



There is a very good series of Scatophagus argus showing varia- 

 tions of marking from quite young to the adult forms, the spots being 

 most distinct in the young forms. 



The species of Sco^pcena, Pterois and Apistus ai'e all peculiar in 

 their extraordinary spiny and box-like heads, and also their ragged 

 and elongated fins. 



Polycaidls uranoscopus is a small quaint-looking fish with minute 

 eyes looking directly upwards. Two species of that remarkable genus, 



