188 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



A specimen of this fish, Gi inches in length, exists in the Berlin Museum, it was received from Paris Tvith 

 the label Cormna furcraia, and stated to have come from the Ganges. The true Perca furcn'M, Lacep. or Corviiui 

 fnrcnea, Cuv. and Val. is described and figured by Steindachner as the Pachyjpo'fs furcrcBus from the Brazils. 

 (V'erh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 18GG, p. 4, t. i.) 



Cantor's specimen of Johnius Dussumieri (Catal. p. G4), which is a skin, appears to me to be identical 

 with the foregoing, but its anal spine is a little short, being 2^ in the length of the head, whilst the length of the 

 base of its anal equals 4f in that of the length of the base of the soft dorsal. Another of the specimens in the 

 British Museum seems to be ,S'. Vorileri. The species I formerly (Fishes of Malabar, p. 51) described as Scicena 

 Dussumieri I now find is not identical with that species (see p. 192). It appears so doubtful as to what Corvina 

 Dussumieri (G.V. v, p. 119) is, that I have omitted it. The description approaches most closely to that of 

 ScicBiia sina amongst the species of this Genus which I have collected in Malabar. 



.ffaii'iai.— Throughout the larger rivers of India and Burmah, descending to the sea at certain seasons: 

 it attains a foot in length. The one figui-ed (an adult) is from the Irrawaddi. 



7. Sciffina axillaris, Plate XLIII, fig. G. 



Corvina axillaris. Cuv. and Val. v, p. 113; Belanger, Voy. Ind. Orient. Zool. p. S-DG; Giinther, Catal. ii, 

 p. 302 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 53. 



B. vii, D. 10 I ^1^, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. p, L. tr. G-7/14, Ccec. pyl. 9. 



Length of head 4-j to 4i, of caudal 1/G, height of body 3j to 3| in the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/4 

 of length of head, 3/4 to 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1^ apart. Dorsal profile more convex than that of 

 the abdomen. Greatest width of head equals half its length, and its height its length excluding the snout. 

 Snout not overlapping the jaws, the jaws of about equal length anteriorly : the maxilla reaches to below the 

 hind edge of the eye. Vertical limb of preopercle serrated, most strongly so at its angle. Two opercular 

 spines. Distance from the eye to the maxilla equals two-thirds of the diameter of the orbit : shoulder-flap with 

 smooth edges. No open glands visible across the snout nor lateral lobes. A knob below the symphysis of the 

 lower jaw and two open pores behind it on either side. Teeth — villiform, with an outer curved row of rather 

 strong ones in the premaxOlaries, whilst the inner row in the lower jaw is twice as strong as the remainder. 

 Fins — dorsal spines of modei-ate strength, the fourth and fifth the longest, equal to 2^- in the height of the body, 

 and 1/3 longer than the rays. Pectoral equals the head excluding the snout. Ventral reaches two-thirds of the 

 way to the anal, its first ray elongated. Second anal spine strong, 3/4 as long as the first ray and equal to 25 in 

 the height of the body, the length of the fins base equals 3^ in that of the soft dorsal. Caudal wedge-shaped. 

 Scales — cycloid on the head and as far as the bases of pectoral and ventral fins, superiorly they extend to below 

 the middle of the first dorsal, posterior to these places they become ctenoid. Lateral-line — curves to opposite 

 the commencement of the anal, its tubes are arborescent posterioi'ly. Co?0!«)'6' — silvery dashed with purple, a 

 black spot in the axilla : upper two-thirds of the first dorsal black, and a dark tinge along the top of the first 

 portion of the second : fins greyish. 



Habitat. — Seas of India. The specimen (figured life-size) from Orissa, was taken along with two others, 

 the largest, captui-ed at Madras in April, 1868, was a female Gi inches in length, and full of well developed ova. 



8. Scissna albida, Plate XLIV, fig. 4 and G. 

 Bola coiljor. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 78, 3G8. 



Corvina albida, Cny. and Val. v, p. 93; Belanger, Voy. Ind. Zool. p. 355; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 304 ; 

 Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 54. 



Johnius anei, Blyth, Proc. Asi. Soc. Beng. 18G0, p. 141 (not Bloch). 

 Corvina Neilli, Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 55. 

 Vella hattelee and Karoom hattelee, Tam. 



B. vii, D. 9-10 I ^1^, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. -f-, C. 17, L. 1. IMl, L. tr. 7/18, dec. pyl. 5. 



Length of head 3f to 1/5, of caudal 1/6 to 1/7, height of body 1/4 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/4 

 in the young to 1/7 in the adult* in the length of head, and fi-om 1 to 1^ diameters from the end of the snout. 

 Dorsal and abdominal profiles about equally convex in the adult. Greatest width of head equals half its length, 

 and its height equals its length excluding the snout. Interorbitiil space very slightly convex : snout not overhang- 

 ing the mouth. Jaws equal in front, or the upper slightly the longer, cleft of mouth slightly oblique, the maxilla 

 reacliing to below the last third or hind edge of the eye. Preopercle with some serrations in the young most 

 developed at its angle, but which become indistinct in the adult. Opercular spines intlistinct. Three pores across 

 the front of the snout : the free edge of the skin of the snout with five orifices and a slight lateral lobe. A bluntish 

 knob below the symphysis of the lower jaw behind the base of which is a large open pore, and two more on the 

 side of either ramus : a short barbel exists between the central pore and anterior lateral one, and a very minute 

 one at the posterior pore. Teeth — villiform with an outer row of large curved ones in the premaxiUaries : whilst 

 the inner row in the lower jaw also consists of enlarged pointed teeth. Fins — dorsal spines increase in leng-th to 

 the third which is one-fourth higher than the rays, and equals from If to 1/2 the height of the body. Pectoral as 

 long as the head excluding the snout and a little longer than the ventral, which latter reaches half way to the anal. 

 Second anal spine strcmg, nearly as long as the first ray and equal to 1/2 or 2/3 the height of the body. Caudal 



* Specimens 8 inches long liiive the diameter of the ore 1/4 in the length of the head, 45 at 11 inches : 5 J at 15 inches, and 

 1/7 in very large ones. This atrfi]jli)' is not peculiar to this species. 



