Pimelodus. gangetic fishes. 193 



opaque brownish scabrous body ; with eleven rays in the fin 

 behind the vent, and with six in the foremost of the back. 



I have found this fish in the northern rivers of Bengal. It 

 grows to about six inches in length, and is considered unfit for 

 eating. It is long in proportion to its breadth, sharp at both 

 ends, and scarcely compressed. Its colour is a lurid brown, 

 with a little yellowness intermixed ; and it is covered with a 

 thick very rough skin. The fins are dotted. 



The head is small, oval, rather blunt, and free from osseous 

 plates, but it is covered with a very rough thick skin. All the 

 tendrils are shorter than the head, and four of them proceed 

 from under the chin, two from the nostrils, and two from the 

 corners of the mouth. The mouth is below and behind the ex- 

 tremity of the nose. The lips are fleshy. The jaws are rough 

 on the edge, but have no teeth. The nostrils are nearer the jaw 

 than the eye. The eyes are high, and near each other. They 

 are minute, and have oblong pupils. The gill-covers are small. 

 Their membranes are so thick as to conceal the rays. There is 

 no slit under the chin. 



The lateral lines descend towards the tail. The vent is near 

 the middle of the body. No naked bones project on the sur- 

 face. 



The first ray in the foremost dorsal fin is a prickle ending in 

 a soft point, and smooth on the edges. The hinder fin is sca- 

 brous, and terminates abruptly behind. Each pectoral fin con- 

 tains about eight rays, of which the first is a prickle, indented 

 behind, and terminated by a soft point. Each ventral fin has 

 five rays. The fin of the tail contains about eighteen distinct 

 rays, besides small compacted ones on each side. 



25th Species. — Pimelodus nangra. Plate XL Fig. 63. 

 A Pimelodus with the fin of the tail divided into two equal 



Bb 



