72 gangetic fishes. Order IV. 



short, strong, and separated by membranes. The tail fin is 

 shaped like a fan, quite entire, and contains sixteen rays, of 

 which one on each side is very short. 



2d Species. — Labrus dario. 



A labrus with fourteen spinous rays, and eight branched ones 

 in the back fin ; and with three prickles and seven soft rays in 

 that of the vent. 



This fish is found in the ponds and rivers of the northern 

 parts of Bengal and Behar, and is neither larger nor more va- 

 luable than the badis. 



The colour in general is silver, with several black transverse 

 belts ; but, in dirty water, the black colour extends all over the 

 body. The form is rather narrower than in the badis. 



The head is entirely like that of the badis. The mouth de- 

 scends obliquely. The under jaw is rather the largest : neither 

 contains any observable teeth. The eyes are high, with the long- 

 est axis of the pupils horizontal. The gill-covers are rounded 

 and scaly, and move freely, covering entirely their membranes, 

 the rays of which I could not exactly number. 



Both back and belly are arched. The vent is behind the mid- 

 dle. There are no lateral lines. The scales are small. 



The back fin ends behind in a sharp point, and extends al- 

 most the whole length of the back. Its prickles are slender. 

 The pectoral fins are low, and rounded : each contains nine 

 rays, and each ventral six. The anal fin is sharp behind. The 

 tail fin is circular ; the number of its rays I could not ascertain. 



I am now to treat of fishes, in arranging which all naturalists 

 have felt the utmost difficulty ; nor, so far as I can judge, does 



