200 Apodal Fishes of Bengal. 



teeth form an interrupted row with the palatines. The 

 lateral line is placed on the middle of the side. 



There are many species, in all which the dorsal commences 

 behind the anal. 



The two first species of this remarkable genus, are the 

 most singular forms of the tribe to which they belong. 

 They are of plain colours, excessively simple shape, and 

 great length in proportion to the diameter of the body. 

 About six years ago I received one of them in a collection 

 of fishes from Mr. Rose, who described it as very destruc- 

 tive to the embankments thrown up against the Sea along 

 the low coasts about Hidgelee and Cuttack. 



The remaining species are small, seldom exceeding from 

 six inches to a foot in length, are of more showy colours, and 

 common about Calcutta. Buchanan was acquainted with more 

 than one species, and has left drawings of two, which seem to 

 have fallen into the hands of Mr, Gray, who makes as many 

 genera of them. He does this merely from characters derived 

 from Buchanan's drawings, which in this case happen to be 

 deficient in those points selected as generic distinctions. 



1.— PTYOBRANCHUS ARUNDINACEUS. PI. x.fiig. 1. 



The body is from twenty inches to two feet in length, and scarcely 

 ~ to - of an inch in diameter. The intestinal aperture is placed at, 

 or a little behind the latter third of the length, and the tail is of uni- 

 form size and thickness with the body, to within about an inch of the 

 end, when it becomes slightly compressed, and terminates in a thick 

 wedge, with a very short square caudal fin. 



The anal fin commences at a distance behind the anus equal to its 

 own length, the dorsal commences at the middle of the tail, and over 

 the middle of the anal fin. Both dorsal and anal fin are low and 

 rounded, each terminating in a narrow raphe, or line, which connects it 

 with the caudal. The jaws .are of about equal size. 



The fin rays are, P : 10 : D. 40 : A. 40 : caudal about 44. 



Colour dark olive-green above, greenish white below, and greyish on 

 the sides. 

 Hab. — Bengal. 



