SILURUS. 



SeAion C. Six Cirri, 



Species. 



Glanis, or European Silurus. This is alfo called the 

 ^reat or common filurus, and may be confidcred as the 

 largeft of all European river-fi(h, growing, in feme cafes, 

 to the length of eight, ten, twelve, or even fifteen feet, and 

 to the weight of 300 pounds. Its more general length, 

 however, is from two to four feet. The head is broad and 

 dcprefled ; the body thick, and of a lengthened form, with 

 the abdomen very thick and fliort. It is of a (luggifh dif- 

 pofition, being rarely oblcrved in motion, and commonly 

 lying half imbedded in the foft bottom of the rivers which 

 it frequents, under the projcfting roots of trees, rocks, logs, 

 or other fubllances. In this fituation it remains, with its 

 wide mouth half open, gently moving about the long cirri 

 fituated on each fide the jaws, which the fmallcr liihes mif- 

 taking for worms, and attempting to feize, become a ready 

 prey to the filuru?. The colour of this fpecies is dark olive, 

 varied with irregular fpots of black ; the abdomen and 

 lips are of a pale flelh -colour, and the fins are tinged with 

 violet. It is an inhabitant of the larger rivers of Europe, 

 as well as fome parts of Afia and Africa, but it appears to 

 be molt plentiful in the north of Europe. It is not much 

 elleemed as food, the flefh being of a glutinous nature; but 

 from its cheapnefs, it is in much requed among the inferior 

 ranks of fociety, and is eaten either freih or ialted. The 

 (l<in, which is Imooth, and deftitute of apparent fcales, is 

 dried and Itretched, and after rubbing with oil, becomes of 

 a horny tranfparency and ftrength, and is uled in fome of 

 the northern regions initead of glals for windows. The 

 filurus is not a very prolific fifii, depofiting a fmall quan- 

 tity of fpawn, confitHng of large globules or ova ; thefe, 

 as well as the newly hatched young, are frequently the prey 

 of other filhes, frogs, &c., and thus the great increafe of 

 the fpecies is prevented. The ova are faid to be hatched in 

 about a week after their exclufion. 



Ei.ECTRicus. The dorfal fin is fingle and flelhy. The 

 head is deprelled ; the eyes are moderate, covered with the 

 common flcin ; the teeth are crowded, fmall, and (harp in 

 each jaw ; the nollrils are very minute ; each fide approxi- 

 mate ; upper lip bearded with two cirri, the lower with four, 

 of which the exterior ones are longer. It inhabits the rivers 

 of Africa. It is about twenty inches long ; the body is 

 long and broad on the fore part, deprefied, pale afli-colour, 

 with a few blackifli fpots towards the tail ; when touched, it 

 communicates a trifling (hock, attended with a fort of 

 trembling and pain in the limbs, but Icfs violent than that 

 given by the 



ToKPEDO, which fee. The flerti of the eleftrical filurus is 

 eatable. 



Felis. The fecond dorfal fin of the fifh of this fpecies 

 ib flcfhy ; it has 23 anal rays ; the tail is bifid. It is found 

 in Carolina ; the body above is blueifh. 



Galeatus. The fecond dorfal fin uf this fidi is fltthy ; 

 it has 24 anal rays, and the tail is entire. It inhabits 

 South America. The head is covered with a hard coria- 

 ceous fliield ; the fpinous rays ol the perioral and dorfal fins 

 are rigid. 



Cakin'atus. Second dorfal fin flefhy ; the lateral line \» 

 fpinous ; the cirri under the lower hp are conncdled. It 

 inhabits Surinam ; the body is comprelTcd. 



NlLOTlcus. The fecond dorfal fin of this is flefhy ; the 

 anal rays are ten in number. It is found in the Nile ; is 

 fourteen inches and a half hing ; the body is of a brownidi- 

 grey ; the fides of the head are blueiih ; the end of the 

 uofe, under part of the head, peftoral fins and cirri, are 

 Vol. XXXIl. 



tinged with red : there is a femicirclc of reddifli at the com- 

 mencement of the tail. 



OlAUiAs. Second dorfal fin flefhy; anal rays eleven. 

 It inhabits the rivers of South America and Africa ; is 

 from twelve to fifteen inches long ; the body is of a blackifh- 

 afh, beneath it is hoary ; it is faid to inflift venomous wounds 

 with the ferrated peftoral fin. 



Fasc'IAtus. Second dorfal fin flefhy ; the anal rays are 

 thirteen. It inhabits Surinam and the Brazils : the body 

 is black, with white bands on each fide, beneath it is white ; 

 the flefh is in higii efteem ; the head is deprelled, rounded 

 on the fore part ; a third part as long as the whole body ; 

 the fins are all fpotted with black. 



AsciTA. The fecond dorfal fin fl. fhy ; it ha' eighteen 

 anal rays. It inhabits India, and appears to be of a mixed 

 kind between oviparous and viviparou-;. 



CosTATUS. Second dorfal fin is flefhy ; a fingle row of 

 fcales on the fides; the tail is bifid. It inhabits South 

 America and India. 



Cataphkactl'S. Second dorfal fin of one ray ; a fingle 

 row of fcales on the fides ; the tail is entire. It inhabits 

 South America. 



Seftion D. Eight Cirri. 

 Species. 



AsPREDO. Dorfal fin fingle, five-rayed. It is found in 

 the rivers of America. The bafeof the lateral cirri broad; 

 the back carinate ; the anal hn reaching to the tail; the 

 tail is forked. 



Mystus. The dorfal fin is fingle, and fingle-rayed. It 

 inhabits the Nile : the tail is forked. 



AxGLiLLARis. Dorfal fin fingle, feventy-rayed. It is 

 found in the Nile : the upper part of the head is grcenifli ; 

 the body above the lateral line is marbled with blackifh 

 and grey ; the belly and lower jaw are of a reddifh-grey ; 

 the peftoral fins are tranfverfely divided by a broad red 

 band. 



Batraciius. Dorfal fin is fingle, and fixty-rayed. It 

 inhabits Afia and Africa : the tail entire. 



Undecimalis. The dorfal fin is fingle, and eleven- 

 rayed. It inhabits Surinam: the tail is forked. 



Catus. Second dorfal fin flefhy, anal twenty-rayed. It 

 inhabits Afia and America. 



Cous. Second dorfal fin flefliy, anal eight-rayed ; tail 

 forked. It inhabits Syria : the cirri are Ihorter than the 

 head. 



DocMAC. Second dorfal fin flefhy, anal ten-rayed. 

 The length of the fifh of this fpecies is about three feet. 

 It is ot a grey colour, whitilh beneath: the head is de- 

 prcfied ; body convex above ; mouth furnilhed with eight 

 beards, the exterior ones of the upper lip extending half 

 the length of the body; the lateral line is tlraight, and 

 fituated nearer the back than the abdomen ; the firll ray of 

 the dorfal and anal fins long and ferrated, with foft tip. It 

 ii a native of the Lower Nile, towards the Delta. 



Bajad. Second dorfal fin fli-lhy, anal twelve-rayed. 

 It is about a foot in length ; the colour is glaucous ; the 

 head obtufe, deprelled, and marked on each fide, before 

 the eycfl, by an unequal pit or deprciruin ; the upper jaw 

 is longer than the lower ; exterior beards of the upper hp 

 very long ; lateral line at firll defci ndiiig, then flr.iight j 

 above the peftoral fins on each fide is a very llrong fpinc, 

 ferrated in a reverfed direction ; the fins arc rufous ; the 

 fecond dorfal or adipoic fin is long ; the tail it long, di, 

 lated towards the tip, and forked. It is a native of the 

 Nile, 



5 11 Sedlion 



