Apodal Fishes of Bengal, 1 87 



2. LYCODONTISPEWCT^T 7 ^. PI. vii. fig. 3, 



The head is compressed, forehead raised abruptly over the eyes, 

 and the lower jaw is shorter than the upper. The branchial aperture is 

 placed on either side at a distance from the eyes, equal to twice the 

 height of the head. The body is dark olive-green, mottled with round 

 white spots which disappear in the adult state, first upon the body, and 

 lastly on the fins. 



The outer small maxillary teeth, are continued round the apex of the 

 jaws, one tooth occurring alternately at each interval between the large 

 retractile teeth. 



There are 392 rays in the dorsal, and 190 in the anal. The intestinal 

 aperture is situated about the middle- 



Hab. — Bengal. 



This species is common in the vicinity of Calcutta, and is 

 generally found about a foot, or 18 inches in length. 



3. LYCODONTIS LONGICAUDATA. P/.viii. fig. 2. 

 Murcenophis sathete, Buch. 



The ventral aperture is considerably before the middle of the body, 

 the tail is consequently very long and slender. The head is conical, the 

 jaws of equal length ; body greenish-brown above, without spots ; the fins 

 darkish ; the dorsal contains 484 pointed rays imbedded in fat, the anal 

 394. There are 211 vertebra. 



Hab. — Bengal, where it attains a great size, the specimen described 

 was upwards of 5 feet in length. 



The drawing here given is from Buchanan's MSS. collection. 



This is one of the largest and most important fishes of 

 the family in Bengal ; the species are reckoned wholesome 

 and good, and ai;e eaten by all classes of the native popu- 

 lation. 



TH^ERODONTIS, N. Gen. 



In this genus there are two distinct rows of teeth on the 

 back part of the palate, behind the retractile teeth on the 

 vomer near the apex of the upper jaw. The edges of both 



