144 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



dorsal spines not strong : the membrane rather emarginate ; the fin commences on the twenty-first 

 scale from the snout, and on the twelfth of the lateral line : its second spine is midway between 

 the snout and base of caudal fin : its first three spines are of about equal length, the third is weak, 

 and rather more than half as long as the first : an elongated scale extends the whole length of the 

 base of the fin. Ventral spine moderately strong, and nearly as long as the third of the dorsal ones. 

 The second dorsal commences opposite the second ray of the anal, and the twenty-fourth scale of 

 the lateral line. The distance between the two dorsals, equals the anterior margin of the second 

 dorsal, which is twice as high as the posterior ; upper edge of fin concave, its last ray double and 

 rather prolonged. Anal slightly in advance of the second dorsal, the third spine rather more than 

 twice as long as the first ray, the last ray being double and longer than the preceding one : its 

 inferior margin concave. Caudal lunated in its posterior fourth. 



Scales — Over body and head : some fine ones on the base of the caudal, and between the 

 ventral rays ; a few along the bases of the second dorsal, anal, and between their first few rays. 

 A fine longitudinal groove on all those except below the pectoral fin, which have vertical grooves, 

 excepting the three rows in the centre of the abdominal line. The scales on the opercles and 

 subopercles are very thin. 



Colours — Silvery, with the summit of head and back bluish green : the fin membrane of the 

 first and second dorsals, caudal, anal, and pectoral pale yellow, dotted with black. The first spine 

 of the dorsal blackish ; the spine and the upper half of the first ray of the second dorsal black, 

 and also the margins of the caudal. A black mark in the axil, ventrals white. Iris silvery round 

 the pupil, but dark green towards the orbit. 



Not rare at Cochin. Grows to six inches in length. 



Habitat — Seas of Malabar and Malaysia. 



Mugil Waigiensis. 



Mugil Waigiensis, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. Fre) T c. Poissons, p. 337, pi. 59, f. 2 ; Giinther, 



Catal. iii. p. 435. 

 Mugil maceolepidotus, Cuv. & Vol. xi. p. 134 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 95. 

 Fresh water mullet. 



B. vi. D.4||, P. 17. V. i. A. f. C. 15. L. 1. 26-27. L. tr. 8-9. 



Length of head \, of pectoral ^ T , of caudal j T> of base of first dorsal ^, of base of second 

 dorsal ^, of base of anal ^ of total length. Height of head ^, of body \, of first dorsal ^, of 

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



Eyes — Without adipose membranes, horizontal diameter |-, vertical diameter T -,- of the 

 length of head, 1^ diameters from end of snout, and 2 diameters apart. 



General appearance short and stout. The line of the profile from the snout along the back 

 being almost straight. Head rather compressed. The width of the body is more than the height 

 of the head. 



Mouth broad, lips thin, intermaxillaries wide, meeting superiorly at an angle, slightly notched 

 in the centre to receive the knob of the symphysis of the mandibular. Maxilla thin, rounded, and 

 angular, apparent under the preorbital. Preorbital irregularly pyramidal, its base being towards 

 the orbit, ending in a point anteriorly : lower margin denticulated, its anterior two-thirds convex, 

 and separated by a deep notch from its external angle which is rounded and denticulated. The 



