FAMILY, XXXII— SPHTR^NID^. 343 



the interspace between the two dorsal fins equals half the length of the head. Pectoral equal to 10^ in the 

 total length. Caudal deeply forked. Scales — 12 rows between the lateral-line and the base of the first dorsal 

 fin : some on opercles. Colours — dark leaden superiorly, becoming dull white beneath. Fins stained 

 with gray. 



This species is allied to S. Foster!, C. V., but the pectoral arises in S. Fosteri, heh'nd the root of 

 the ventral. In Cuv. and Val. it is said that the ventral and fii-st dorsal are opposite the end of the pectoral, 

 and in Vol. vii.'that the eye is very large, which latter is not the case in the specimen I have described. 



Habitat.— The specimen figured is 20 inches in length, and from Sind. 



3. Sphyraena Commersonii. 



Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 352 ; Bleeker, Perc. p. 55, Java, p. 425, and Sphyr. p. 15 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 338. 

 Sphyrcena Diissumieri, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 508 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 339. 



B. vii, D. 5 I 1, P. 14, V. 1/6, A. i C. 19, L. 1. 90-95, L. tr. 11/16. 



Length of head 3f to 4, of caudal 6|, height of body 7|- to 9 in the total length. J?7/es— diameter from 

 5 in the young to 7^ in the length of the head, 2|- to 3f diameters from end of snout, and from 1 to If apart. 

 Height of head equals about 1/2 its length, and its width not quite 1/3. The maxiUa reaches to 

 beneath the front edge or first third of the eye : lower jaw the longer, with a fleshy tubercle at the end of the 

 symphysis. Angle of preopercle obliquely rounded : opercle with two points. Teeth — in the upper jaw smaller 

 than those in the lower, which consist of from 20 to 22 : about six large ones in the anterior portion 

 of the palatines. Fins — the first dorsal commences above the ventral and opposite the last foui'th or even the 

 end of the pectoral, the interspace between the two dorsal fins is from 5 to 6^ in the total length. Colours — 

 bluish above, silvery beneath : dorsal, caudal, and anal black, with white tijjs. 



Hahltat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. Bleeker's specimens of S. Commersonii 

 are identical with S. Dussumieri in the British Museum and in my own collection. All have two, not one, 

 opercular points. It attains at least 4-j- feet in length. 



4. Sphyrsena obtusata, Plate LXXI, fig. 5. 



.'' .'' Sphyrcena Chinensis, Lacep. v, p. 321, t. 10, f. 2. 



Sphyr(ena obtusata, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 360; Bleeker, Sphyr. p. 17, and Batjan, p. 364; Cantor, Catal. 

 p. 24; Temm. and Schleg. Fauna Japon. pi. 13, i. 2; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 140; Giinther, 

 Catal. ii, p. 339 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 140 ; Klunz. Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 820. 



Sphyrcena flavicauda, Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 100, t. 26, f. 3. 



B. vii, D. 6 I i, P. 14, V. 1/6, A. i, C. 17, L. 1. 90, L. tr. 9/17, Case. pyl. about 24. 



Length of head 3^^, of caudal 6j, height of body 61 (8 ?) in the total length. Eyes — diameter 4i 

 in length of head, 1^ diameters from end of snout, and a little more than 1/2 a diameter apart. Height of head 

 equals 4/9 to 2/5 of its length. The maxilla reaches to nearly or quite below the fi'ont edge of the eye. A 

 slight fleshy knob at end of lower jaw. Preopercle nearly rectangular, with its angle a little produced, 

 the opercle terminating in a single flat membranous point. Teeth — about 20 on either ramus of the lower jaw, 

 the 9 or 10 posterior ones being the largest, with an anterior central fang : one or two large fangs 

 anteriorly in the upper jaw : and three large fangs in front of palatines, followed by a single row of small teeth. 

 Fins — the posterior end of the opercle is midway between the centre of the eye and the commencement 

 of the first dorsal fin, which last arises over the last fourth of the pectoral and a little behind the ventral, which 

 is inserted under the middle of the pectoral. The interspace between the two dorsal fins equals half 

 the length of the head. Caudal not so deeply lobed as in S. jello, the central rays being 1/2 or less than the 

 length of the longest outer ones. Scales — extended over the opercles and cheeks. Colours — grayish-green 

 superiorly, whitish along the abdomen, the gray descends in a festooned edge below the lateral-hue. Pectorals 

 grayish, the other fins yellowish. 



The figure of iS'. Chinensis, Lacep., shows the first dorsal fin rather more advanced than exists in 

 S. obtusata. The fish figured in the Fauna Japonica has a shorter head and a much longer interspace 

 between the two dorsal tins than is seen in the species described above : but the specimen from which the 

 drawing was made belongs to tliis species. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and Australia : the specimen figured is from Madras. 



