FAMILY, I— SILUEID^. 453 



the rayed fin, equalling tlie length of the interspace between the two fins and 1 /3 longer that high. Pectoral 

 spine from as long as, to 1/4 longer than, the head, strong, flattened, denticulated internally and serrated 

 externally, each alternate tooth (in many, especially small, specimens) being directed anteriorly or posteriorly, 

 the fin reaches the ventral, and the latter the anal, this last being highest anteriorly. Caudal forked. 

 8hi/n, — covered with small, pointed elevations, whicb in the posterior part of the body are arranged in parallel 

 lines, they are also seen on the cheeks. When captured the secretion from each of these orifices forms 

 over them in rounded incrustations, causing the skin to appear tuberculated. Air-vessel — large and not 

 enclosed in bone. OoZo'ZWS— yellowish-brown, banded or blotched -with darker: fins with black bands or 

 markings : all the barbels annulated with black. 



ffabitat. — Rivers and contiguous pieces of water from Orissa, through Bengal, Assam, and Burma, 

 attaining at least 6| inches in length. The large specimen figured is from Suddya in Assam, the smaller from 

 a specimen now in the Calcutta Museum. Those from the Naga hills are more deeply coloured, and the under 

 surface of the chest is covered with the orifice of numerous glands. 



2. Erethistes conta, Plate CII, fig. 5. 



Pimelodus conta, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 191, 379 ; Cuv. and Val. xv. p. 151. 

 Sa/ra filamentosa, Blyth, P. A. S. of Bengal, 1860, p. 152 ; Giinther, Catal. v, p. 189. 

 Sa/ra conta, Giinther, 1. c. ; Day, J. A. S. of Beng. 1870, p. 40, pi. iv, f. 3. 

 Nga-that-to (Upper Burma) : Nga-houle-th/wa (Bassein) Burmese. 



D. 1/0, P. 1/6, V. 6, A. 11 (t), C. 17. 



Length of head 5, of caudal 4|-, height of body 4^ in the total length (excluding the filamentous 

 prolongation of the upper lobe of the caudal fin. Tlyes — diameters 8 in the length of the head, slightly behind 

 the middle of the length of the head, and 2^ diameters apart. The greatest width of the head rather less than 

 its length. Upper jaw slightly the longer, median longitudinal groove on the head rather deep and extends to 

 the base of the occipital process, which latter is three times as long as wide at its base: humero-cubital 

 process elongated, rough, and with two rounded osseous projections posteriorly : between the humero-cubital 

 and occipital process is a third intermediate one, the scapular, directed somewhat downwards : basal bone of 

 the dorsal fin not dilated externally. Barbels — the nasal short, the maxillary as long as the head, the 

 mandibular ones, which arise on a transverse Hue, shorter. Fins — dorsal spine strong, nearly as long as the head, 

 rugose anteriorly, denticulated posteriorly : length of the base of the adipose dorsal equals that of the first 

 dorsal fin, or the interspace between the two fins, it is 1/3 as high as long. Pectoral spine rather shorter than 

 the head, denticulated internally, and with backwardly directed serrations externally. Caudal forked, its upper 

 lobe having a filamentous prolongation. Shin — covered with smooth tubercles, most of which are on a rounded 

 base. Colov/rs— as in B. ha/ra, except that the mandibular barbels do not appear ever to be annulated with 

 black, and sometimes the maxillary ones are even destitute of colour. 



Habitat. — Eastern Bengal, Assam, Burma as far as the Tenasserim province, from whence Major 

 Berdmore sent 5 or 6 specimens to the Calcutta Museum. They are found as high as Prome, and I have also 

 taken them at Bassein. 



3. Erethistes Jerdoni, Plate CII, fig. 3. 



Day, Joum. As. Soc. of Bengal, 1870, p. 37. 



D. i/O, P. 1/6, V. 6, A. 10, C. 12. 



Length of head 3|, of caudal 6, height of body 4 in the total length. Eyes— in the anterior half of the 

 head, 3 diameters from end of snout. Head 1/2 wider than high opposite the opercles. Median longitudinal 

 groove extends nearly to the base of the occipital process where it terminates in a small depression. Occipital 

 process half longer than wide at its base : cubito-humeral process of an elongated triangular shape having two 

 prominent ossicles posterior to it ; between these two processes is a third. Ba/rdels—lhe maxillary reach the 

 giU-opening, the others are shorter. .Ffcs— dorsal spine half as long as the head, it is serrated posteriorly : the 

 length of the base of the adipose dorsal is 2/3 that of the rayed fin. Pectoral spine flattened and rather 

 exceeding the distance between the snout and the base of the dorsal fin, when laid fiat it reaches as far as the 

 posterior end of the ventrals, it has 12 strong denticulations internally, 26 smaller ones, directed backwards, 

 externally. Caudal rays elongated. Shim,— smooth. CoZowrs— brownish, irregularly banded, barbels annulated 

 with black. ' 



Habitat.— Bj\h.ei district, out of 3 specimens shown me by the late Dr. Jerdon,. the largest was only 



1'5 inches in length. 



4. Erethistes elongata, Plate CII, fig. 4. 



Ha/ra elongata, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 704. 



D. i/0, P. 1/6, V. 6, A. 10 (f), C. 17. 



Length 6f head 6i, of caudal 4, height of body 7 in the total length. Eyes— small, situated in the 

 •posterior half of the head. Occipital process three tftnes as long as wide at its base. The scapular and cubito- 

 humeral processes well developed, the last having an oval ossicle posterior to it. i^ms— dorsal spine stout, as 

 long as the head, anteriorly strongly denticulated, the teeth being directed downwards, also slightly serrated 



