64 gangetic fishes. Order IV. 



II. No. 163,) but the tail fin of the sowarah ends in a sharp 

 point, which is by no means the case with that of Bloch, nor 

 with any species of ophiocephalus that I have seen. 



Having premised these difficulties, I now proceed to state, 

 that the Lata of Bengal is found in the ponds of all parts of 

 India that I have visited ; that, so far as I know, it never exceeds 

 a foot in length ; and that, for eating, it is considered far inferior 

 to the sol. 



The back is of a dirty green colour, and the under parts of a 

 pale yellow, the two colours being separated by a broad irregu- 

 lar dark stripe running through the eye to the tail. Across 

 the back, to this stripe, there run many irregular dark belts. 

 On the sides of the adult fish are generally scattered many 

 small black round spots, especially if the water in which the 

 fish has lived is full of dirty weeds. These spots are always 

 wanting in the fish when young. The back and anal fins in 

 the adult are edged with white, and several rows of black spots 

 extend all their length, which is also the case in the young fish, 

 the tail fin also of which is spotted in a similar manner. 



The head is wider than the body, and is covered with large 

 angular scales, on which are irregularly scattered several small 

 round cavities. In opening the mouth the upper jam is very 

 little protruded, and the bones of the upper lip are minute. 

 In both jaws the fore teeth are crowded and small ; the hinder 

 ones are in a row, remote from each other, large, and conical. 

 The tongue is sharp. The palate is smooth behind, but con- 

 tains many small teeth adjacent to those in the jaw. The eyes 

 are far forward. The gill-covers end in a point, and each of 

 their membranes contains five rays. 



The lateral lines are with difficulty distinguished from others 

 formed by an elevated line, ending in a raised point, which 

 runs along the centre of most of the scales ; but the scales on 



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