10 gangetic fishes. Order I. 



guished, and its sides are reticulated with narrow black lines. 

 The head and back slope more. The nostrils are tubular, and 

 capable of being retracted. The rays of the dorsal fin are 

 about eleven, of each pectoral about eighteen, of the anal 

 about ten, and of the caudal eight. 



5th Species. — Tetrodon gularis. 



A tetrodon with the body very slightly compressed and en- 

 tirely unarmed, above green, irregularly varied with dusky, and 

 beneath black, with a large black spot on each side, with a red 

 mark on the throat, and with jaws nearly equal in length. 



This fish is found along with the preceding species, and dif- 

 fers only from it in the particulars mentioned in the specific 

 character. Its being, therefore, a mere variety, is still more 

 probable. I have been under the necessity of translating the 

 specific name given by the natives, Kanthawaleh Phoksha, be- 

 ing altogether inconvertible to any word of decent length. 



6th Species. — Tetrodon tepa. 



A tetrodon with a compressed prickly body, and with a 

 tail fin of an equal crescent shape. 



This fish is found in the estuaries, where it grows to be about 

 a foot in length, and is a very distinct species from any above 

 mentioned ; but it has a very considerable affinity to the T. 

 sceleratus of La Cepede, (Hist, des Poissons, Tome I. p. 476,) 

 which is said to be poisonous ; in fact, the natives of Bengal 

 reject the Tepa in food. The accounts of the T. sceleratus, 

 however, are still very imperfect. The name Tepa, (Tengpa,) 

 it must be observed, is generic, but all the other fish to which 

 it is applied have some other distinguishing appellation. I 

 have therefore confined it to this species, as the prototype of 

 the native genus Tepa. 



