180 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



base and that of tlie anal equals the length of the head excluding the snout. First spine of anal minute or 

 wanting : the lower edge of the fin deeply concave. Caudal with pointed lobes. Least depth of the free 

 portion of the tail equals half the length of the head. Air-vessel — elongated, narrow, and simple. Ccecal 

 appendages — numerous. Vertical fins rather densely scaled. Lateral-line — continued along the lower lobe of the 

 caudal fin to the end of its second or third rays below its centre. Colours — golden, having a grayish tinge along 

 the back and darkish lines along each row of scales : anal fin dashed with gray, ventral white and externally 

 grayish : both dorsals, the caudal and pectoral gray-edged. 



Habitat. — This species is exceedingly common in the seas and estuaries of India. I have captured females 

 fuU of roe as early as March. It is found from Sind through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and 

 beyond. 



8. Polynemus tetradactylus. 



Polynemus maija-jellee, Russell, Fish. Yizag. ii, p. G8, pi. 183. 



Polynemus tetradactijlus, Shaw, Zool. v, p. 155 ; Cuv. Reg. Anim. 111. Poiss. pi. six, f. 1 ; Cuv. and Val. 

 iii, p. 376, vii, p. 514 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii. p. 234 ; McClell. Joum. As. Soc. Beng. 1839, p. 206 ; Royle on 

 Isinglass, pp. 25, 2G : Richards. Ich. China, p. 218 ; Bleeker, Perc. p. 57 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 25 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. ii, p. 328 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. G2 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 138. 



Polynemus teria, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 224, 381 ; Gray and Hard. 111. Ind. Zool. pi. 92, f. 2. 



Polynemus salliah et quadrifilis, Cantor, Joum. Roy. As. Soc. v, p. IGG. 



aieutheronema tetradactylus, Bleeker, Bintang, 18G8, p. 5. 



Polun-hala, Tarn. : To-hro-dah, Andam. 



B. vii, D. 8 j TTT^xa- P- 17+iv, V. 1/5, A. T|:|y, C. 17, L. 1. 75-85, L. tr. 8/14, C»c. pyl. many. 



Length of head 1/5, of caudal 1/5, height of body 1/5 to 1/6 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/9 

 to 1/5 of the length of head, 1/2 a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. Height of head equals its length 

 excluding the snout or beKind the middle of the eye, its width equals 2/5 of its length. The maxilla extends 

 to 1 diameter behind the posterior edge of the orbit. Angle of preopercle produced and romided, its vertical 

 limb serrated and having its strongest denticulation just above the angle. Teeth — villiform. Fins — third 

 dorsal spine equals 3/4 of the height of the body and is as long as the anterior rays of the second dorsal, the 

 upper edge of which last fin is concave. Pectoral rays undi"vided, the free rays reach nearly to the end of the 

 ventral, which latter extends to the vent. The distance between the bases of the ventral and anal fins equals 

 the length of the head excluding the snout. Anal similar to second dorsal, its first spine minute or absent :* 

 caudal deeply forked. Air-vessel — absent. Cwcal appendages — numerous. The least depth of the free portion 

 of the tail equals nearly 1/2 the length of the head. Colours — silvery-green, becoming yellowish-white on the 

 sides and abdomen : dorsal and caudal gi'ayish with minute black points and nearly black at the edges : ventral 

 and anal pale orange in their outer halves, pectoral filaments white. A dark mark on the upper portion of the 

 opercle. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and China, attaining 6 feet and upwards in length : 

 it is excellent eating. This species appears to ascend higher up the rivers than any of the others, and the 

 young are numerous in the Hooghly at Calcutta. Ham. Buchanan observes : " I have been assured by a credible 

 native that he saw one which was a load for six men, and which certainly therefore exceeded in weight 320 lb. 

 avoirdupois." (Fish. Ganges, p. 225.) 



• Cantor gives three or four anal spines : Buchanan two : Enssell and Cuvier one. I have specimens in which I can only 

 discover two, others wherein three are distint't. 



