FISHES OF LAKE URMr. 383 



Las described from the "River Kur under tlie name o£ Silurus 

 chantrei. But this supposition is not borne out by a specimen 

 obtained in the Grader Chai at Ocksa. It is the skia of an adult 

 individual much cut about and without pectoral fins. However, 

 the number of anal rays can be ascertained to be 84, thus nearly 

 approaching in this respect our Europenn S. glanis, whilst 65 is 

 the number given for S. chantrei. Also in other respects, espe- 

 cially with regard to the composition of the dorsal fin and the 

 length of the barbels, it proves to be a typical S. glmiis. I have 

 some doubts as to whether 8. triostegus of Heckel, from the 

 Tigris, can be maintained as a distinct species. The dorsal fin 

 of Silurus is a rudimentary organ, and therefore may be expected 

 to vary in the number and development of its rays. Even in 

 European specimens the fourth dorsal ray is not constantly 

 branched, but may be simple and reduced in size, and I have 

 found it so also in a specimen from the Tigris. However, the 

 barbels of Mesopotamian specimens seem to be shorter than in 

 European. 



Capot^ta gracilis. 



Scaphiodon gracilis, Keyserling, Zeitschr. ges. Naturw, xvii. 1861, p. 9, 

 tab. 4. 



Scaphiodon sieboldii, Steindachner, Verb, zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 1864, 

 p. 224. 



? Capoeta sevangi, De Filippi, Viaggio ia Per,«ia, p^ 312 (1865). 



Capoeta gracilis, Giinther, Fish. vii. p. 80 (1868). 



D. B/8. A. 3/5. L. lat. 53-55. L. transv. 8|/6-7. 



Tte height of the body is one fourth or two ninths, the length 

 of the head two ninths of the total length (without caudal) ; the 

 diameter of the eye is one fifth of the length of the head aud 

 contained If in the length of the snout, and 2\ in the width of 

 the interorbital space. Barbels rather shorter than the eye. 

 Origin of the dorsal fin midway between the end of the snout 

 and the root of the caudal ; distance between the first dorsal ray 

 and occiput rather less than that between the last dorsal ray and 

 root of the caudal. Least depth of the caudal peduncle about 

 one half of the length of the head. Third dorsal ray feeble, soft 

 jn its terminal portion, and distinctly serrated, the serrature 

 being hidden below the skin. Pectoral rather shorter than the 

 head, not extending to the ventral. Caudal deeply emarginate. 

 Scales in the anal region not distinctly enlarged. Coloration 

 uniform. 



