218 gangetic fishes. Order V. 



tance before the vent, and each contains one prickle and five 

 branched rays. In the fin behind the vent the first of the soft 

 rays is undivided, but jointed. 



3d Species. — Mugil albula? 



A Mugil with nine rays in the hinder fin of the back ; with 

 four prickles and nine soft rays in that of the vent ; with the 

 fin of the tail ending in a crescent ; with two apertures in each 

 nostril ; with the gill-covers rounded ; with a sloping head ; with 

 the sides smooth, and longitudinally striped with different 

 shades of silver. 



The number of rays in the fins of this fish does not exactly 

 coincide with that given by authors in describing the Mugil 

 Albula, (Bonnaterre, Tabl. Encycl. p. 180, PI. LXXIII. Fig. 

 305 ; La Cepede, Hist, des Poissons, Tome V. p. 384,) and the 

 stripes, of different shades, on the sides are abundantly evident 

 on our fish ; while it is stated, that on the Albula there are no 

 stripes. The two species, however, if different, have the ut- 

 most affinity. Our fish is found in the salt water estuaries of 

 Bengal, where it grows to a foot in length. It is very nearly 

 allied to the Parsia, from the description of which it differs in 

 only the following particulars, besides those mentioned in the 

 specific character. 



The sides are smooth, and without dots, but are longitudi- 

 nally striped with different shades of silver, owing to the edges 

 of the scales being paler than their centres. 



There are scarcely any scales on the gill-covers. 



On the centre of each scale is a slender line. The scales are 

 angular, and very slightly indented on the edges. 



The pectoral fins contain fifteen rays. The first ray of each 

 ventral fin is a prickle. The first prickle in the fin behind the 

 vent is minute. 



