260 BC/tJ/A, ITS PEOPLE AM) PRODUCTIOSS. 



EXOSTOSIA, Bli/th. 



No thoracic adhesive appantus. ^Nrmith infirior, lips reflected and tuhercuhir. 

 Nostrils close together, separaUd \\\ a bai'bel. TcL-th iu sevcial rows. Palate 

 edentulous. 



E. Bkkd5iori:i, Blyth. 



D. 1-0; P. tV; V. 6; A. G ; C. 14. 



The maxillary barbels reach the base of the pectoral fin. Dingy olive brown, with 

 obscure dark broad bands, the fins usually darker. 

 Teuasserim. 



Famihj Scopelidae. 



Pseudobranchioe ■well developed. Xo barbels. Two dorsal fins, the posterior 

 adipose. Ova inclosed in sacs in the ovaries and extruded by oviducts. Air-vessel 

 small or absent. 



H.VKPODON. 



Premaxillaries from the margin of the upper jaw. Caudal trilobcd. Thin and 

 deciduous scales over the last three-fourths of the body. 



H. jfEDERErs, Ham. Buch. 



Bammaloh, or ' Bombay duck.' 



B. xxiii.-xxvi. ; D. 12-13 : 0; P. 1M2 ; V. ; A. 1315; C. 19. 



Body compressed. Snout short. Lower jaw the longer. Teeth recurved and 

 erectile. In both jaws there are 3 rows of teeth, the outer minute, the inner the 

 lai'gest, and largest in the mandible. Teeth in 2 rows on the pharyngeals and ]ialatines. 

 Fine teeth on the tongue, hyoid boue and the iipper margin of the branchial arches. 

 Tlie first dorsal is midway between the snout and tail. The point of the ventral reaches 

 to the middle of the anal,"a long thin elongated scale at its base. Head, back, and sides, 

 semitransparent, like gelatine. Light greyish, with minute stellate black dots. Anterior 

 part of the belly pale silvery bluish, tlie rest greyish-white. Fius transparent, like the 

 body, but more closely dotted. Grows to IG inches. 



These fish when freshly caught and at once cooked arc not unjustly esteemed 

 the most delicate of any in the East. They are better known, however, m the dried 

 state made up into bundles, and are then toasted brown with a little cayenne jiepper 

 on them, and handed round with curry, to which they impnrt a subempyreumatie 

 flavour of dried fish, a strong liking for which is soon acquired. These ' Bombay 

 ducks ' as the}' are called are a standing dish at breakfast, on board the coasting 

 steamers, and are very nice ; but it is as well not to watch their being brought up 

 from the store room by a naked ' lascar ' aftlictcd perhaps with a cutaneous disease, 

 and who, with a bundle of these delicacies under his naked arms, stops ever and anon 

 for a quiet scratch ! 



Family Scombresocidse. 



Pseudobranchiae concealed, glandular. Margin of the jaw formed mesiallyby the 

 premaxillaries, laterally by the maxillaries. Lower pharyngeals united into a single 

 bone. 



B. sTEONGTLrRDs, V. Hasselt. 



Thook-o-doo-noo-dah. Andanians. 



B. xii. ; ]). 13-ly; P. 11; V. G; A. lG-18; C. 15. 



A shallow median groove on the top of the head. Teeth on the jaws sharp, straight, 

 not large, distant. Back and crown of head yellowish green, minutely brown-dotted, 

 silvery on the sides, cheeks and opercles, wliite on the belly. A deej) blue lateral 

 band posteriorly, with a broader silvery one below it. Dorsal with a little orange 



