FAMILY, I— SILURID^. 487 



SaccolrcmcJim fossilis, Sleeker, Beng. p. 68 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 342 ; Giinther, Catal. v, 

 p. 31. 



Sih/rus mdorocephalus, Giinther, Catal. t, p. 31. 



Bitohni Tea muWhee, and Singi, Hind. : Singee and 8heen-ee, Assam .- Thay-lee, Tarn. : Mar-pu, Tel. : 

 Singee, Ooriali, Beng. and N. W. Prov. : Nga-gyee and Nga-Jcyee, Burmese and Mugh. : Lahoord (young), Nullie 

 (adtdt), Punj. : Kahree-meen, Mai. : Lo-'ha/r, Sind. : (Ka/macha smggi, Bhagalpur, H. B.) 



B. Yii, D. 6-7, P. h V- 6, A. 60-79, C. 19. 



Length of head from 6i to 7, of caudal from ahout 9 to 14, height of body (greatly depending upon food 

 or season) from 5 to 8 in the total length. The width of the head equals its length, and that of the gape of the 

 mouth 2i to 2^ in the length of the head. Eyes — ^from 2 to 3 diameters from end of snout. Barbels — the 

 maxillary extend to the middle of the pectoral, or even the commencement of the ventral fins. Teeth — those on 

 the vomer in a pyriform patch on either side, converging anteriorly, widely divergent posteriorly. Fins — the 

 dorsal commences rather before the anterior third of the body : the ventrals reach to the third or fourth anal ray 

 or just to the origin of that fin.* Pectoral spine serrated internally, also usually with a few serrations externally 

 at its anterior end, it is from two-thirds to three-fourths as long as the head. Anal and caudal separated by a 

 more or less distinct notch. Colours — ^leaden, sometimes with two longitudinal yeUowish bands. The young 

 are occasionally reddish. 



Wounds from the pectoral spine of this fish are dreaded in India, as they are reputed to be very 

 poisonous, even occasioning tetanus. As soon as captured, the offensive spine is broken off by blows with a 

 stake, consequently it is difficult to procure a large and perfect specimen. Fishermen dread it so much that 

 they would prefer cutting the meshes of their nets and allowing it to escape than endeavour to remove it 

 uninjured. As food the flesh is esteemed for its invigorating qualities, and tanks are frequently stocked with 

 them during the rainy season. When food is plentiful they fatten well, if the reverse they become lanky, thus 

 altering the comparative height of the body to that of its length. 



In a specimen captured at Bezwada, September 12th, 1868, the ova were fully developed : the colour of 

 the eggs was of a pea-green. 



Habitat. — ^Fresh waters of Sind, India, Ceylon, Burma, and Cochin-China, attaining a foot or more in length. 



Genus, 19 — Siltindia, Cv/oier and Valenciermes. 



BrancMosiegals eleven, to twelve. Gill-open/ings wide, the gill-membranes overlapping hut not confiitent with 

 the shm of the isthmus. Body elongated and compressed. Mead covered with soft shim. Eyes lateral, with na/rrow 

 odApose lids. Mouth rather wide, not cleft to so far as the eyes, lower jaw the longer. Nostrils, those on either side 

 approximating, the anterior pair in front of the snout and a little external to the posterior pair. A paivr of rruucillary 

 mi sometimes also a pair of manddbula/r barbels. VilUform teeth in the jaws, and in an unmterrupted band on the 

 palate. First dorsal fin with one spine and seven rays : the adipose short. Anal long (40-50 rays). Ventral with 

 6 rays, placed below or just behind the adipose dorsal. Air-vessel Tcidney-shaped, convex anteriorly, lying across the 

 body of an anterior vertebra, from which it is separated by the aorta, having its lateral margins protected by bone. 

 An axillary pore. 



Oeogra/phical distribution. — Throughout the larger rivers of India and Burma. 



SYNOPSIS *0¥ SPECIES. 



A. Two pairs of barbels. 



1. SilumMa Syhesii, A. 44-50. A pair of maxillary and also of mandibular barbels. Rivers of the 

 Decoan to their terminations. 



B. One pair of barbels. 



2. Silwndia Gangetica, A. 40-46. A pair of short maxUlary barbels. Indus, Ganges, Jumna, and large 

 rivers of Assam and Burma. 



A. A pair of maxillary and also mandibular ba/rlels. 

 1. Silundia Sykesii, Plate CXIV, fig. 2, 



Day, Joum. Linn. Soc. Zool. xii, 1876, p. 569. 



? Ageneiosus Ghildrewi, Sykes, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii, p. 375, t. 66, f. 3. 



r Sihmdia Ghildreni, Bleeker, Hind. p. 58-; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 340. 



Wal-la-ke kel-le-tee (slippery siluroid) and Poo-nat-tee, Tam. ; Wan-jou, Tel. 



B. xii, D. II 0, p. 1/12, V. 6, A. 44-60 (^rfr), C 19. 



Length of head 5^, of caudal 4f, height of body 5| in the total length, ^i/es— with a narrow, free, ' 

 adipose lid, diameter 3i in the length of the head, 1 diameter from the end of snout, and I3 apart. The 

 greatest width of the head equals its length behind the middle of the eyes: lower jaw the longer curved 

 upwards in the middle : snout rather broad : the width of the gape of the mouth equals 4/11 oi the length ot the 



* In Assam the ventrals sometimes do not reach the anal fin. 



