254 GERRID^. 



caudal fin). Prseorbital entire ; prseoperculum distinctly, interoper- 

 culum finely serrated. The spines moderate : the second of the dorsal 

 two-thirds of the length of the head, in young individuals as long as 

 the head ; the second of the anal three-fourths of the second of the 

 dorsal. Silvery ; dorsal with a blackish margin. 



Atlantic coasts of tropical America. 



Sixteen specimens, from Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Cabello. 



Skeleton : see vol. i. p. 342. 



5. Grerres zebra. 



MilU. 4- Trosch. m Schomburgk's Barbad. p. 668. 

 V.-. A.J. 



Silvery ; steel-blue above ; five or seven vertical bands. The 

 height of the body is one -third of its length, and contains twice 

 and a half the length of the second and third dorsal spines, and thrice 

 that of the second anal spine. (M. iSf T.) 



Coast and freshwater ponds of Barbadoes. 



6. Gerres nigri. 

 Giintk. Fishes, i. p. 347. 



D. i. A. I-. L. lat. 42. L. transv. 5/11. 



10 8 ' 



The height of the body is twice and three-fifths in the total length 

 (without caudal fin) ; the diameter of the eye is about one-third of 

 the length of the head, rather longer than the snout, and equal to 

 the distance between the eyes. The groove for the processes of the 

 intermaxillary bones is elongate, triangular, reaching nearly to the 

 vertical from the centre of the eye, and is entirely scaleless. Spines 

 of the fins rather slender ; the second of the dorsal is twice and a 

 fifth in the height of the body, and nearly twice as long as the third of 

 the anal, which is rather longer, but less stout, than the preceding. 

 Silvery, with indistinct longitudinal stripes above the lateral line ; the 

 vertical fins blackish ; dorsal black-edged. 



Mouth of the River Niger. 



a. Adult. River Niger. From Mr. Fraser's Collection. 



6. HaK-grown. Coast of Africa. From the Haslar Collection. 



7. Gerres squamipinnis. 



Gllnth. Fishes, i. p. 349. 



D. ^. A. J. L. lat. 43-44. L. transv. 5/13. 



The height of the body is twice and a half in the total length (with- 

 out caudal fin) ; the diameter of the eye is thrice and three-fifths in 

 the length of the head, rather shorter than the snout, but equal to 

 the distance between the eyes. The groove for the processes of the 



