248 SMALL-SCALED HYDROCYON. 



they are descending, and in leaping over the ob- 

 stacle fall into the canoe. They are good food, and, 

 "when fried, are much like the fresh-herring. The 

 scaling is very minute ; the colour is greenish on 

 the head and back, varying to blue and rose on the 

 belly; dorsal fin orange tipped ^vith blue, adipose 

 the same colour as the back, pectoral and ventral 

 light blue, anal lake tipped with blue, caudal blue 

 outer ra3's, others orange. At the insertion of the 

 caudal fin is a black spot. The eye yellow; the 

 opercles rose colour ; nostrils single, placed near the 

 eye ; teeth formidable, the canines very large ; the 

 snout elongated ; lateral line runs nearly straight, a 

 little bent near the opercle ; the gill-lid is slightly 

 striated, with smooth edges; vent placed near the 

 anal fin ; the ventral placed under the commence- 

 ment of the dorsal fin. They are killed by the 

 arrow, and with the hook and line. They are very 

 voracious, and constantly carry on warfare with the 

 smaller finny tribes. They swim near the surface 

 of the water, and seem to prefer shallows to the 

 deeper spots." 



