THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 139 



dorsal tVj of ba8e of anal As l,f t " tal 1,, ".- ,n - Height of head ,' ; , of body $, of firs! dorsal -, of 

 second dorsal f 7 , of ventral -^ v of anal ,'-' 7 of total length. 



Ey es — Slightly wider than high, and with narrow anterior and posterior adipose lids. 

 Diameter a little more than \ the length of head, f of a diameter from the end of snout, and \\ 



diameters apart. 



Body comparatively short. Upper and lower line of profile equally convex. Head slightly 

 depressed. Snout rather obtuse. 



Mouth wide, having at the symphysis of the mandibula a tubercle which is received into a 

 notch in the intermaxillary. Preorbital with a well-marked notch anteriorly. Extremity of 

 maxilla uncovered and apparent below the angle of the mouth. Upper lip rather thick. Pre- 

 opercle with three wide glands opening along its vertical margin, one opposite the lower margin 

 of the orbit, another just above the angle, and a third between the other two : along its horizontal 

 limb there are three more, one at the angle just before and below the lowest of the vertical ones, 

 another at its anterior extremity, and a central one. On the upper line of the opercles there are 

 three more, and an oblique line of three rather superior to them. On the summit of the head there 

 are some others. 



Teeth — Some exceedingly fine ones in both jaws. 



Yms, Pectoral extends to the eighth scale on the lateral line. First dorsal situated opposite 



the tenth scale of the lateral line : second dorsal opposite the nineteenth scale and the centre 

 of the anal, which is opposite the seventeenth scale. Pectoral rather pointed. The anterior 

 three spines of the dorsal strong, the first the highest and strongest, the fourth weak. Upper 

 border of second dorsal concave. Ventral spine strong, equal in length to the third spine of the 

 dorsal. Anal arises in front of the second dorsal, and has a concave inferior edge. Caudal emar- 

 ginate in its posterior third. 



g ca les With longitudinal shallow grooves, which below the pectoral are irregular in their 



direction : they extend over the body and head, and between the rays of the pectoral, second 

 dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. An elongated scale at the base of the first dorsal, and another 

 small one at that of the ventral. 



Colours Greyish, darkest on the back, and silvery white towards the abdomen : opercles 



tinged with a golden colour. Each scale darkest at the margin, and with a darkish grey line 

 alono- its centre, forming longitudinal stripes. All the fins minutely spotted with black, giving 

 them a greyish appearance. Caudal and pectoral the darkest, their edges being almost black, 

 especially those of the caudal. 



This does not appear to be a very common mullet in Malabar. Still it is occasionally taken 

 with the others, but is- not often seen more than five or six inches in length. 

 Habitat — Seas of Malabar and Malaysia. 



MUGIL ENGELI. 



Mugil engeli, Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Ned. Ind. xvi. p. 277; Gunther, Catal. iii: p. 430. 



B. v. D. 4 | I P. 15. V. J. A. f. C. 14. L. 1. 33-34. L. tr. 10-11. 



Length of head £, of pectoral 1, of caudal 1, of base of first dorsal J s , of base of second 

 dorsal Jq, of base of anal 1 of total length. Height of head \, of body \, of first dorsal fo of 

 second dorsal \, of ventral \, of anal j of total length. 



t 2 



