156 Apodal Fishes of Bengal. 



to the Gymnomurcena of Lacepede, the intestinal aperture 

 being stated to be before the middle. 



9. The genus Monopterus depends only on the MS. des- 

 cription of a single specimen found by Commerson in the 

 Straits of Sunda. The branchial apertures are said to be 

 united under the throat in a transverse fissure divided in 

 the middle by a partition, and the teeth are said to be like 

 those of a card. In the Regne Animal it is said, there are 

 six rays in each branchial membrane, and a species of Syn- 

 branchus figured under another name, (Lacep. vol. V. xvii, 

 3,) is supposed by Cuvier to be the species described by Com- 

 merson. In the original description, (Lacep. vol. ii. p. 140,) 

 it is said there are but three rays in the branchial membrane. 

 Of four different genera inhabiting India, that which comes 

 nearest to the description of Commerson's species, has five 

 rays in the branchial membrane, of a size not likely to allow 

 of their being mistaken. 



I have been unable therefore to refer any species to 

 the genus Monopterus, however I felt inclined to do so, 

 because of the uncertainty of the characters assigned to it, 

 and the number of genera presenting a very considerable 

 diversity of structure, which almost equally approach it in 

 appearance. 



10. Several Indian species have been referred to the genus 

 Synbranchus, Bl. They are nevertheless, perfectly distinct 

 from that genus. 



The Synbranchi properly so called, with a longitudinal 

 fissure under the throat, are all natives of the coast of 

 Guinea. One of them, Synbranchus immaculatus, is said to 

 be found at Surinam and Tranquebar; on what authority 

 the latter locality is stated by Lacepede, does not appear. 

 We may be pretty certain, however, that the Tranquebar 

 species is either the Cuchia of Buchanan or the Dondoo- 

 paum of Russell, since no species having a single longitudi- 

 nal branchial aperture under the throat, has been found in 





