296 SCOJIBRESOCID^, 



out caudal), the length of the head one-fourth. The depth of the 

 head equals the distance between the extremity of the snout and the 

 hind margin of the prseoperculum. Snout obtuse and very short, 

 scarcely more than half the length of the diameter of the eye, which 

 is contained twice and two-thirds in the length of the head and is 

 equal to the ^ddth of the interorbital space, which is shghtly concave. 

 The pectoral fin extends scarcely to the end of the dorsal. Ventral 

 fins midway between centre of the eye and root of the caudal, ex- 

 tetuUng nearly to the middle of the base of the anal. The dorsal 

 commences far in advance of the anal, its anterior rays being half as 

 long as the head. There are twenty-foiir scales between the occiput 

 and the origin of the dorsal, and seven longitudinal series of scales be- 

 tween the origin of the dorsal and the lateral line. Pectoral uniform 

 blackish, with the lower rays whitish. Ventral white, the middle 

 rays greyish. 



Indian and Pacific Oceans. 



a. Seven inches long. — D. 11. 



h, c-d. Young. Zanzibar. Presented by Colonel Playfair. 

 e. Seven inches long. Prom Dr. Bleeker's Collection. Type of E. 

 brachysoma. — D^ 10. 



Exoccetus simus, Cuv. & Val. xix. p. 105, from the Sandwich 

 Islands, is perhaps identical with the species ; it is described as having 

 the length of the diameter of the eye less than the width of the in- 

 terorbital space. 



Evoeoetus neglectus, Bleek. Ned. Tydschr. Dierk. iii. p. 112, is, if 

 specifically distinct, most closely aUied to E. brachysoma ; it has the 

 body a little more elongate. 



«. Type of E. neglectus, 9 inches long. From Dr. Bleeker's Col- 

 lection. — D. 11. 



41. Exoccetus oligolepis. 



Exocoetus imicolor, Bleek. Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiv. Stioek. Visch. p. 21 



(not Cuv. 8^- Val). 

 oligolepis, Bleeh. Ned. Tydschr. Dierk. iii. p. 109. 



D. 12. A. 7-8. L. lat. 42. 

 The height of the body is one-fifth of the total length (without 

 caudal), the length of the head a Httle less than one-fourth. The 

 depth of the head equals the distance between the extremity of the 

 snout and the hind margin of the praeoperculum. Snout obtuse and 

 very short, its length scarcely more than half the diameter of the 

 eye, which is contained twice and two-thirds in the length of the 

 head and is equal to the width of the interorbital space, which is fiat. 

 The pectoral fin extends to the end of the dorsal. Ventral fins mid- 

 way between centre of the eye and root of the caudal, extending to 

 the end of the anal. The dorsal commences far in advance of the 

 anal, its anterior rays being half as long as the head. There are 

 twenty-three scales between the occiput and the origin of the dorsal, 

 and seven longitudinal series of scales between the origin of the dorsal 



