FAMILY, I— SILURID^. 495 



externally rougli in its lower half, denticulated internally. Colours — glossy greenish-brown on the back, with 

 two very light green bands passing one from the base of either dorsal fin to the middle of the depth of the body. 

 A dark band on the dorsal fin and spots on either lobe of the caudal. 



Sabitai. — Rivers of Northern Bengal, not uncommon in the Jumna at Delhi, and also found at Poona in 

 the Deccan. 



Genus, 26 — Bagaeiits, JBleeker. 



BrcmcMostegals twelve. Gill-membranes not confluent with the shin of the isthmus, hcmng a free posterior 

 edge cmd notched half way to the chin.. Mead depressed, its v/pj)er surface osseous. Mouth anterior : ivpper jam the 

 longer. Eyes with free orbital margins. Nostrils approximating, the posterior provided with a barbel. Barbels 

 eight, one nasal, one maxillary, and two mandibular pairs. Teeth im, jaws pointed, and of wnegual sizes : palate 

 edentulous. Thorax destitute of amy adhesive apparatus. First dorsal fin in advance of the ventrals, hamng one 

 spine a/nd six rays : adipose Jin present. Ventral with six rays. Anal of moderate length. Caudal deeply forhed. 

 Air-vessel small, consisting of two rounded portions enclosed m bone. An amllary pore. 



The air- or swim-bladder of this fish is present, but small. Taylor (Gleanings in Science, June 1830) 

 remarks that the Bagarius YanreTiM " has also two air-bladders, which closely resemble the former (Saccoiranchus 

 fossilis, &c.) in the argentine tendinous texture of the external coat, and in having no communication with each 

 other, or with the alimentary canal. They are situated one on each side of the body, in a deep groove or furrow 

 of the consolidated transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae, and are extremely small in proportion to the 

 •bulk of the fish ; each of them in an individual weighing 10 lbs., not exceeding a large garden pea in size : they 

 are placed in the middM of the grooves at about an equal distance from the common integument (immediately 

 behind the pectoral fin) and the vertebral column : the space between each of them, and the former, being filled 

 up with adipose substance, whilst that next to the spine is occupied by the Malleus." 



Geographical distribution. — Throughout the course of the larger rivers of the Punjab, India, and Burma, 

 and extending to the Malay Archipelago. 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Bagwrius Tarrellii, D. i, A. 13-16. Gray, banded and clouded vrith black. India to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



1. Bagarius Yarrellii, Plate CXV, fig. 3, 



Pimelodios bagamMS, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 186, 378, pi. 7, f. 62 ; Guv. and Val. xv, p. 146, pi. 433 ; 

 Bleeker, Silur. Bat. p. 10. 



Bagrus Ywrrellii, Sykes, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii, p. 370, t. 65, f. 1 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 56. 



Pimelodiis platespogon, Val. in Jacq. Voy. Ind. Ori. pi. 18, f. 3 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 58. 



Paahypterus Vwridms, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 306. 



Pimelodus Ga/rnaticns, Jerdon, M. J. L. and S. 1849, p. 341 (young). 



Bagarius Buchamani, Bleeker, Beng. en Hind. pp. 58, 121, Prod. Silur. p. 212, and Atl. Ich. Silur. p. 61, 

 t. 81. 



PimelodMS YarrelUi, Jerdon, M. J. L. and S. 1849, p. 341. 



Bagarius Yarrellii, Giinther, Catal. v, p. 183. 



Boonch or Goonch, Hind. (N. W. P) : Goreah, Assam : Bahti jellah, Tel. . Sah-hln, Ooriah. 



B. xii, D 1/0, P. 1/12, V. 6, A. 13-16 i-^-^), 0. 17. 



Length of head 3f , of caudal 4|, height of body 5 in the total length excluding the prolonged caudal 

 ray. %es-small, situated in the middle of the length of the head. The greatest width of the head equals 

 from 2/3 of its length in the young to its entire length in the adult, its upper surface is rugose m irregular 

 bands and lines. Upper jaw the longer, the extent of the gape of the mouth equal to 4/7 of the length of the 

 head. Barbels— i\e maxillary with broad bases and rather longer than the head : the nasal pair short, feeth— 

 sharp, and of unequal sizes in the jaws, an outer widely separated row of larger ones m the mandibles. .^''^-^ 

 dorsal spine smooth, with an elongated soft termination, the osseous portion as long as the head excluding the 

 snout : length of the base of the adipose dorsal as long as that of the rayed fin. Pectoral spme stronger, and as 

 long as that of the dorsal, serrated internally, and having a soft prolongation. Caudal deeply forked, its upper 

 lobe prolonged. S'/cm^— somewhat scabrous over the summit of the head, and shghtly so on the body. ^o'^^:j'^-- 

 body gray or yellowish, with large, irregular, brown or black markings and cross bands. A black base to aU the 

 fins, and arenerally also a dark band. , , , , j -j. n 



TMs fish takes aHve-bait, but is difficult to kUl, it is sluggish, goes to the hottom, and it generaUy 

 escapes by destroying the tackle. Mr. Van Cortland, at the end of 1875, angling at the Okla weir, a tew miles 

 below Delhi, killed one which was 5 feet long and weighed 136 lbs. ^ ^ ■ a c ^ 



Eabitat—hnTge rivers of India and Java, descending to the estuaries. It attains 6 teet or more m 

 length, and is often termed a " fresh-water shark," partly due to its voracity, and partly to its underliung moutn 

 and general ugliness. 



