654 PHYSOSTOMI. 



2. Notopterus chitala, Plate CLIX, fig. 5. 



Mydus chitala, Ham. Buch. Pish. Ganges, pp. 236, 382 ; Gray and Hard. 111. Indian Zool. (from H.B.'s 

 MSS.) 



Notopterus ornatus and chitala, Gray Zool. Misc. p. 16. 



Notopterus maculatus, Valenc. in Belang. Voy. Ind. Or. pi. 5, f. 2. 



Notopterus Buchanani, Cuv. and Val. xxi, p. 148 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 149. 



Notopterus hypselosoma, Bleekerj Chir. p. 27, and Atl. Ich. vi, t. 274, f. 2. 



Notopterus lopis, Bleeker, Batav. p. 510, and Atl. Ich. vi, t. 275, f. 2. 



Notopterus chitala, Giinther, Gatal. vii, p. 479 ; Bleeker, Atl. Ich. vi, p. 147. 



Chitul, Goriah : See-tul, Aasam. : Gwickm, Sind. : Chitala, Beng. 



B. viii-ix, D. 9.10(|:f ), P. 16, V. 6, A. 110-125 (135), C. 12-14, L. 1. 180, Csec. pyl. 2.. 



Length of head 4^ to 5, of caudal fin 15^, height of body 3| to 4 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 7 to 8 in the length of head, 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and nearly 1 apart. Upper profile of head 

 deeply concave. Snout rather prominent : the maxilla extends posteriorly to about the length of 1 diameter 

 of the eye behind the hind edge of the orbit. Preorbital entire : lower edge of preopercle very finely serrated. 

 Teeth — ^vilUform in both jaws with an external enlarged row, most developed opposite centre of the upper jaw : 

 also villiform in vomer and palatines. Some teeth likewise present on the tongue, the largest being in front. 

 Fins — ^ventrals minute : anal and caudal confluent. Scales — cycloid, small, extending over body, opercles, and 

 some of the fins : and from the nape as far as to opposite the preopercle : those on the head not being much 

 larger than those on the body. There are about 51 serrations along the abdominal edge between the throat and 

 the insertion of the ventral fin. Lateral-line — nearly straight and in upper third of the body. Colours — superiorly 

 coppery-brown with about 15 transverse silvery bars joining over the back : sides silvery : fins stained with 

 gfrayish spots, which are like black stars in the caudal region, placed in a single or double row close 

 to the anal fin and sometimes extending the whole length of its base. Air-vessel — long, thick, with a partition 

 down its centre, whilst posteriorly it is continued on either side of the h»mal spines, half way to the caudal 

 fin. Gcecal-pylori — very long and with transverse rugSB internally : intestines short. 



" The belly is uncommonly rich and well-flavoured : but the back contains numerous small bones, and a 

 strong prejudice exists against using this fish as food, owing to its being supposed to live on human carcases." — 

 Ham. Buch. 



Habitat. — Presh waters of Sind, Lower Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Burma, and Siam to the Malay 

 Archipelago. It attains at least 4 feet in length. 



