ACANTHOPTERYGII. 323 



stripes, rings, and ocellated spots on a silver ground ; nor 

 are the beauties of these fish lost to man, or confined to the 

 depths of ocean. They are small, and usually remain near 

 the shore between the rocks, where there is but little water. 

 Here they are incessantly sporting in the sunbeams, as if for 

 the purpose of displaying the ornaments they have received 

 from nature. 



The name chaetodon expresses the hair-like character of the 

 teeth. They were not unknown to the ancients. Their flesh 

 is in general of a good flavour, but we know little of their 

 habits beyond the fact of their frequenting the shallow waters 

 of the shores as already stated. 



We insert a figure of the Chaetodon Fremblii, described by 

 Mr. Bennet in the fourth volume of the Zoological Journal, 

 p. 42, and the Chcetodon ornatus of Gray, in the British 

 Museum. 



But two species of Chelmons are known, both of the 

 Indian Seas. Chcetodon rostratus, Lin., inhabits the coast 

 and rivers of Java, and we are told that when it sees an in- 

 sect on a blade of grass on the shore hanging over the water, 

 it shoots forth a drop of water with gi'eat precision at the in- 

 sect from a considerable distance, thereby causing it to fall 

 within its reach. Schlosser has described this curious pro- 

 cess in the Philosophical Transactions for 1764, after Hum- 

 mel, and Rein ward t has since observed and confirmed it. It 

 is even an amusement with the Chinese of Java to keep these 

 fish in vessels, above which they place an insect on a thread 

 or stick. This curious process is, indeed, not confined to the 

 chelmon, as the toxotes appear to possess a similar instinct. 

 We are not informed whether the other species of this genus, 

 C. longirostris, has the same habit as its congener, but from 

 its similarity of organization it should seem probable. 



The common Heniochus (macrolepidotus) is a large fish, 

 celebrated in India for its culinary qualities. The Dutch 



y 2 



