FAMILY, XII— SCLENID^. 193 



attacliinents. Colours — purplish-brown due to numerous fine dots, but becoming golden in the lower fourth of 

 the body, its lateral-Une is generally lighter than the contiguous parts. Head glossed with purple. First dorsal 

 fin dark, the others with gray edges. 



Jerdon observes, M. J. L. and Se. 1851, p. 132, that this fish is more abundant on the Malabar coast 

 than at Madras, but I find on referring to Sir W. Elliot's drawings that he has marked one as Gorvina carutta, 

 and which he observes equals Russell's cxi. or S. Belengeri. 



I have two specimens from the Malabar coast that appear to be Gorvina caroima, Cuv. and Val. (v. p. 125). 

 They are gray and have merely an indistinct trace of the light line along the lateral-line, so well marked in 

 iS'. carutta. Irrespective of this however, all the scales (except those on the snout and below the eyes) are 

 strongly ctenoid, ofi'ering a marked contrast to carutta, and the second anal spine is from 1/4 to 4-^ in the length 

 of the head. Otherwise I am unable to discover any difference. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, it attains nearly a foot in length. The specimen 

 figured is 8 inches in length, and from Madi-as. 



16. Scisena osseus, Plate XLVI, fig. 3. 

 B. vii, D. 10 I Jf, P. 18, V. 1/5. A. f, C. 17, L. 1. M L. tr. 6/15. 



Length of head 4^, of caudal 1/6, height of body 4i in the total length. Ei/es — diameter 1/5 of length of 

 head, 1-|- diameters from end of snout, and 1^ apart. The greatest width of the head equals its post-orbital length ; 

 its height equals its length behind the front nostril. Snout obtuse, not inflated, the dorsal profile above the eyes 

 is a little concave : cleft of mouth oblique, the anterior extremity of the lower jaw being on a level with the 

 l(3wer edge of the eye. The maxilla reaches to below the hind edge of the orbit ; the upper jaw scarcely overlaps 

 the lower. The distance from the eye to the upper jaw nearly equals one diameter of the orbit. Preopercle 

 rather strongly denticulated in its whole extent. Two operciilar spines. Shoulder-flap serrated. Three small 

 pores across the snout, and five along the free edge of the skin but no lateral lobe. Two small central pores 

 below the symphysis of the lower jaw and two more large ones laterally and posteriorly. Teetli — villiform in 

 both jaws with an outer enlarged row in the premaxillaries. Fins — first dorsal spine very short, the second and 

 thu'd of equal length, the foui-th the longest but only slightly higher than the posterior rays, and 2 l in that of 

 the body. Pectoral as long as the head behind the middle of the eyes. Ventral reaches halfway to the vent. 

 Second anal spine weak, about 1/2 as long as the first ray and equal to l/4of the length of the head. Caudal wedge- 

 shaped. Scales — cycloid on head and chest, ctenoid on the body. Lateral-line— iorvus a well marked curve to 

 above the front edge of the anal fin : tubes very distinct, and giving off one short branch on either side. Colours 

 — brownish-gray or stone-coloured along the back, becoming dull white on the sides and below. Opercle bluish- 

 black. First dorsal black in its upper half, outer edges of pectoral, ventral, anal, and caudal gray. 



Habitat. — Malabar coast of India, from whence the specimen figured (7 inches long) was procured. 



Genus, 3 — SciJiNOiDES,* BhjtJi (January, 1860). 



Bola, pt. Ham. Buch. ; Sciwna, sp. Cuv. and Val. ; Gollichthys, Giinther (June, 1860) ; HemiscicBna, 

 Bleeker; Plagioscion, GiU. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobrancMcB. Eyes small. Head broad, witJi its upper surface very convex. 

 Cleft of mouth oblique and deep. Teeth villiform in the upper jaw, with an outer distantly placed roto of curved 

 co7idcal ones in the premaxillaries, becoming canine-like anteriorly : an inner row erdarged OAid conical in the lower 

 javj, with an outer series of villiform ones. No barbels. Two dorsal fins, united at their bases, the second with many 

 rays : two weak anal spiines : caudal wedge-shaped. Scales small, cycloid or ctenoid. Air-vessel generally having a 

 horn-like process on either side, and with many lateral appendages. Pyloric appendages few or in moderate numbers. 



Uses. — Good as food, its air-vessel used for isinglass. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Scicenoides pama, D. 10 | to-tt' -^- fi L. 1. ff, dec. pyl. 9. Brownish superiorly, light below: fins 

 edged with gray. Bay of Bengal, entering estuaries and rivers. 



2. Scianoides microdon, D. 8-9 | 3V, A. f, L. 1. ||, Cffic. pyl. 6. Brownish superiorly, becoming light 

 beneath. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



3. Scimnoides biauritus, D. 9 | Yr'-ra. ^- 1. L- 1- Wj Csec. pyl. 13. Brownish superiorly, golden below. 

 Estuaries of India to the Malay Archipelago and China. 



4. Sciwnoides brunneus, D. 9 | -^y-ysj -^- h L- 1- ylij. Gray, with blackish fins. Bombay. 



1. Scisenoides pama. 

 Bola pa/ma, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 79, 368, pi. 32, fig. 26. 



* BIyth gives as the species forming his Genus, 1. Sciamoiies hiauritus : 2. Sc. pama : 3. Sc. EardMjiMi=S. pama, yowg: 

 4. Sc. (.'') asper. 



2 c 



