Pimelodus. gangetic fishes. 197 



upper jaw, and four from the chin. The mouth is very large, 

 and descends, with a little obliquity, from the extremity of the 

 head below the eyes. There are scarcely any lips. The upper 

 jaw is rather the longest. In both are crowded numerous small 

 sharp teeth, of which there are none on the palate. The aper- 

 tures of the nostrils are nearer the jaw than the eyes, which are 

 high and of moderate size, and have the longest diameters of 

 their pupils vertical. Each gill-cover consists of two bony plates, 

 smooth, and rounded behind, and leaves exposed a thin mem- 

 brane, containing ten rays. There is no slit under the throat. 



The back is transversely rounded. The lateral line descends 

 from the shoulder. The joinings of the muscles may be traced 

 to the lateral lines, although the fish cannot be considered as 

 diaphanous. The vent is before the middle. 



The foremost fin of the back slopes very much, so that its 

 edge is nearly vertical ; and the first ray is a slender prickle, 

 slightly indented behind, and terminated by a point like whale- 

 bone : the last is divided to the root. The hinder fin is recum- 

 bent, narrow at the root, and thickening upward. The pectoral 

 fins are low, sharp above, and shorter than the head. Each 

 contains sixteen rays, of which the first is a strong prickle, in- 

 dented behind, and ending in a point like whalebone. The 

 ventral fins are much smaller, and stand at a distance from each 

 other. Each has six rays, of which the first is undivided. The 

 fin behind the vent s^pes to each end from the fifth ray, rapid- 

 ly before, and slowly behind ; the first five rays being undivid- 

 ed, and the others branched. The lobes of the tail fin have con- 

 vex edges, and contain seventeen distinct rays, besides some 

 compacted ones at each side. 



28th Species. — Pimelodus gagata. Plate XXXIX. Fig. 65. 

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



