16 gangetic fishes. Order II. 



is, however, very significant, and expresses the chief mark by 

 which the genus is distinguished. 



1 st Species. — Unibranchapertura cuchia. Plate XVI. Fig. 4. 



An Unibranchapertura destitute of fins, and spotted with 

 black. 



The Dondoo Paum of Russell (Indian Fishes, Vol. I. No. 35) 

 has a strong affinity to our fish ; but has not the black spots, 

 and may perhaps be the Unibranchapertura Icevis of La Cepede, 

 (Hist, des Poissons, Tome V. p. 657.) 



This fish I found in the rivers and ponds of the south-east 

 parts of Bengal. It is said to grow to two feet in length, and 

 six inches in circumference : but those that I have seen were 

 shorter and thinner in proportion to their length. Europeans 

 eat the cuchia as an eel ; but the natives reject it, and imagine 

 that its bite is fatal to cattle, although less powerful on the 

 human kind, — a supposition highly improbable. 



The whole form of the animal, having no vestige of a fin, 

 resembles strongly a serpent. This fish is cylindrical, devoid 

 of scales, and lubricated with slime. The colour above is dark 

 green, below a dirty pale red. On every part are scattered 

 small round black spots, and short yellowish lines. Two pa- 

 rallel pale lines run forward from the shoulders, and at the 

 eyes join, at an acute angle, two others coming from the sides 

 of the chest. Parallel to the last are two others, one on each 

 side beneath the lateral line. 



The head is blunt and of a moderate size, but swells out 

 when the animal is irritated. The snout is depressed, short, 

 and retuse, projecting a little beyond the under jaw. The 

 nostrils are near the end of the snout, very small, and each has 

 only one aperture. The eyes are near the upper part of the 

 head, and small, as is also the aperture to the gills. 



