5. EXOCCETUS. 281 



the vent, inserted midway between snout and root of caudal. The 

 pectoral extends somewhat beyond the origin of the dorsal. Dorsal 

 fin very high, the longest rays reaching beyond the root of the 

 caudal. Upper part of the dorsal black. Snout shorter than the 

 eye. The height of the body equals the length of the head. 



Otaheiti; China. (A draM'ing by Parkinson is in the British 

 Museum ; it is seven inches long.) 



a. Two inches long. From the Haslar Collection. 



b. One inch and a half long. China seas. Presented by Sir E. 



Belcher. 



b. Barbels none. 



7. Exocoetus mento. 



Exocoetus mento, Cuv Sf Val. xix. p. 124 ; Bleek. Verh. Bat. Genootsch. 



xxiv. Snoek. p. 21. 

 Parexoccetus mento, Bleek. Nederl. Tydschr. Dierk. iii. p. 126. 



D. 11. A. 13. 



The height of the body is nearly equal to the length of the 

 head, and one-sixth of the total (with the caudal). Snout short, 

 much shorter than the eye, the symphysis of the lower jaw being 

 produced into a very small pointed tubercle ; the origins of the dorsal 

 and anal fins are opposite to each other ; dorsal high and pointed ; 

 anal very low. The length of the pectoral is only one-half of the 

 total (without caudal) ; ventrals short, scarcely extending to the anal, 

 inserted midway between snout and root of the caudal. 



Indian seas. 



a. Three and a half inches long. From Dr. Bleeker's Collection. 



This fish probably represents merely the more developed state of 

 E. hracliypterus, a species said to be frequently without barbels. 



8. Exocoetus acutus. 

 Exoccetus acutus, Cuv. 6f Val. xix. p. 125. 



D. 10. A. 11. L. lat. 41. 



The height of the body is contained four times and three-fourths 

 in the total length (without caudal), the length of the head thrice 

 and a half. Head subtriangular, and, like the body, much compressed. 

 Snout much produced, pointed, with the lower jaw projecting. The 

 eye occujjies the middle of the length of the head, of which it is one- 

 fourth ; it equals the width of the interorbital space, which is quite 

 flat. The pectoral fin extends beyond the origin of the dorsal, and is 

 one-half of the total length (without caudal). Ventral fin midway 

 between the centre of the eye and the root of the caudal, terminating 

 at the vent. The dorsal commences a little in advance of the anal, 

 and is much higher than long. There are twenty-two scales 

 between the occiput and origin of the dorsal, and nine longitudinal 

 series of scales between the origins of the dorsal and anal fins. Pec- 

 toral uniform blackish. Ventrals whitish. 



Atlantic. The above description is taken from a fine example 



