140 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Eyes — With adipose anterior, and posterior lids. Diameter rather more than ^ length of 

 head, \ a diameter from end of snout, 1 \ diameters apart. 



Body with the superior and inferior j)rofiles equally convex, snout rather rounded. Head 

 slightly compressed. 



Mouth transverse. Interinaxillaries very protractile, making an obtuse angle and having an 

 cmargination to receive the notch on the symphysis of the mandibular. Maxilla quite hidden by 

 the preorbital, which is scaled, emarginate, and indistinctly serrated : preopercle with three glands 

 on its vertical margin, the superior and largest being opposite the lower margin of the orbit, and 

 the inferior and smallest opposite the angle : there are also three small ones along its horizontal 

 margin. Several glands exist on the summit of the head. Intermandibular space lanceolate. 



Teeth — None visible in the specimens obtained at Cochin. 



Fins — Pectoral pointed and reaching to the tenth scale on the lateral line. Ventral large, and 

 arising under the middle of the pectoral, its spine strong and rather longer than the third spine of 

 the dorsal. First dorsal arises beyond the eighth scale on the lateral line, and opposite the end 

 of the pectoral ; its spines are moderately slender, the first the longest and strongest, and the last 

 weak and half the length of the first. The second dorsal arises midway between the commence- 

 ment of the first dorsal and the base of the upper caudal ray, opposite the fifth ray of the anal, and 

 on the nineteenth scale of the lateral line : its upper margin is concave. Anal arises in front of the 

 second dorsal. Caudal lunated in its posterior fourth. 



Scales — Over the body and head, none on the fins excepting at the base of the caudal. They 

 have fine longitudinal grooves, excepting below the pectoral, where they are irregular in their course. 

 An elongated scale at the bases of the dorsal, pectoral, and anal fins. 



Colours — Silvery, with a slight bronzed golden tint. Upper surface of the preopercle bright 

 golden. Cheeks with a slightly golden tint. Base of pectoral jet black at its upper margin, the 

 colour fading after death ; posteriorly it is of a deep brown. Fins greyish, excepting the ventral 

 which is colourless. Upper margin of his bright golden. 



Grows in Malabar to about nine inches in length, and is employed as food by the Natives. 



Habitat — Malabar and the Seas of Malaysia. 



Mugil poicilus. Plate IX. 

 Mugil poicilus, Day, Proceed. Zool. Society, 1805, p. 33. 



B. v. D. 4 | \. P. 15. V. \. A. f. C. 14. L. 1. 32. L. tr. 10. 



Length of head about A, of pectoral A, of caudal 1, of base of second dorsal y 1 ^, of base of anal 

 j 1 ! of total length. Height of head \, of body A, of first dorsal \, of second dorsal j 1 ^, of ventral A , 

 of anal T \j of total length. 



Eyes — An adipose membrane extends over about one third of either side in the adult fish, 

 in the young the anterior curtain is broader than the posterior one. Diameter f- of length of 

 head, £ of a diameter apart, 1J diameters from end of snout. 



There is not much rise from the snout to the first dorsal. Lower jaw slightly the shortest, 

 curved a little upwards, and having a notch in the centre of its extremity. Upper lip broad. 

 Upper jaw considerably protractile. The superior maxilla is bent downwards below and behind 

 angle of mouth, where its extremity is visible. Preorbital angularly bent, with a rounded and 

 finely serrated margin. Nostrils rather wide apart, the posterior the largest, and nearer the orbit 

 than it is to the anterior one. Interorbital space nearly flat. Snout broad, somewhat pointed in 



