SHE ATFI S H E S . 
693 
the family is represented chiefly by the subfamily Silit- 
ridce Heteropterce , with the single exception that Blee- 
ker has referred the Pangasince, with stronger spinous 
ray in the comparatively longer dorsal tin and with 
comparatively shorter anal fin, to the Bagriform division, 
which in conjunction with a more advanced development 
of the dorsal spine possesses a support for this spine in 
a distinct cuirass on the head and the anterior part of 
the back. The essentia] character of the Siluroids pro- 
per thus lies in the reduction of the dorsal tin (or tins, 
both of the rayed, anterior tin and of the adipose tin), 
combined with the elongation of the anal tin. Gun- 
ther’s Heteropterce (with different fins) expresses this 
character fairly well. The whole Glanomorphous series 
is so nearly continuous, however, that up to the pre- 
sent the limits of the families which we are compelled 
to establish by the great number of the species, are in 
a measure arbitrary. 
Genus SILURUS. 
No adipose fin. Dorsal fin soft-rayed ( without spinous ray). Dense cards of pointed teeth in the lower jaw, on 
the intermaxillary hones, and on the head of the vomer. Barbels 4 or 6, two of which belong to the upper jaw , 
the rest to the lower. Anal fin united at the base by a membrane to the rounded caudal fin, but at the margin 
separated from the latter fin. 
The genus Silurus, the name of which occurs even 
in ^Elian and Athenasus (in the second century A. D.), 
Avas in Artedi “ a combination of the Burbot and the 
Sheatfish, though the former Avas also included in the 
genus Gadus. In Linnaeus 6 it embraced, together Avith 
the genus Loricaria , the Avhole of that series of families 
Avhich Ave have iioav called Glanomorphs. At present, 
Avith the definition given it by Gunther, it contains 
5 known species, 3 from India, 1 from Dauria, China, 
and Japan, and 1 from Europe. An East Indian ge- 
nus of small fishes, Silurichthys, comes extremely near 
Silurus, but is distinguished therefrom by the oblique 
shape of the caudal fin, Avith the upper corner con- 
siderably longer than the loAver, a character of Avhich 
Ave find at least traces in Silurus , and by the closer 
union of this fin to the anal fin. 
THE SHEATFISH (sw. malen). 
SILURUS GLANIS. 
Plate XXX, fig. 1. 
Six barbels. Dorsal fin situated in front of the middle of the abdomen, about half-way between the vertical lines 
from the anterior ends of the insertions of the pectoral and ventral fins. Vomerine card of teeth continuous, with 
only a slight indentation at the middle of the hincl margin. Lower jaw projecting beyond the tip of the snout. 
Coloration olive-green, above dark, almost blackish, below pcde, fading even into whitish, on the sides spotted; 
all the fins reproduce the coloration of the body ( darker base, lighter margin), except the dorsal fin, which is plain, 
of the same colour as the back. 
V. 
R. br. 15 I. 16; D. 
1 
1 
(83) 87 (89)’ P ' (14) 15 (17)’ 
( 10 ) 11 ( 12 ) 
2—3 
; (J . x + 1 7 + x ; Vert. 20 + 51 (54) 
Syn. Gadus, Lin., Fn. Suec ., ed. 1, p. 109, No. 291; Silurus, It. 
Scan., p. 62. Silurus cirris duobus ad maxillam snperiorem, 
quatuor in mento, Gronov., Mus. Ichth. (1754), p. 6; Mai , 
Osb., Vet. Akad. Hand]. 1756, p. 34. Weis, Bl., Fisch. 
Deutschl., part. I, p. 242, tab. XXXIV. 
Silurus Glanis, Lin., Syst. Nat., ed. X, tom. I, p. 304; Holm, 
D. Vid. Selsk. Skr., XII (1779), p. 133, tab. I et II; Retz., 
Fn. Suec. Lin., p. 343; Pall., Zoogr. Ross. Asiat., tom. Ill, 
p. 82; But, Rtzb., Medic. Zool., part. II, p. 31, tab. V, 
fig. 2, C, D, E, tab. VI, figg. 1—4; Nilss., Prodr. Ichthyol. 
Scand., p. 38; Cuv., Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., tom. XIV, p. 
323, tab. 409; Kr., Panin. Fiske, vol. Ill, p. 120; Nilss., 
Skand. Fn., Fisk., p. 359; Lloyd, Ant. 20-dr. vist. Skand., 
p. 40; Hckl., Kn., Siisswasserf. Oestr. Mon., p. 308, fig. 
165; Sieb, Siisswasserf. Mitteleur., p. 79; Mgrn, Finl. Fiskfn. 
(disp. Helsingf. 1863) p. 35; Gthr, Cat. Brit. Mus., Fish., 
vol. V, p. 32; Seidl., Fn. Balt., p. 100; Buckl., Nat. Hist. 
Brit. Fish., p. 357; Mor., Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr., tom. Ill, 
p. 439; Mela, Vert. Fenn., p. 310, tab. X; Bncke, Fisch., 
a In Artedi the Sheatfish is mentioned only in the Appendix {Gen. Pise., p. 82 and Syn. Pise., p. 110), and has probably been in- 
troduced thither by Linnaeus daring his revision of Artedi’s Ichthyology. See Skdnska resan, p. 62. 
h Syst. Nat., ed. X. tom. I, pp. 304 and 307 ; ed. XII, tom. I, pp. 501 and 508. 
