12. TOXOTES. 67 



the vomer and the palatine bones. Scales of moderate size, cycloid. 

 Seven branchiostegals ; air-bladder simple ; pyloric appendages in 

 moderate number. 



East Indian Seas ; Polynesia. 



1. Toxotes jaculator. 



Scifena jaculatrix, Pall. Spicil. viii. p. 41, and Phil. Trans, vol. hi. 



1766, p. 186. tab. ^dii. f. 6 (scales too small). 

 Scarus sclilosseri, L. G>n. p. 1282 ; Lacep. iv. pp. 5, 17 ; SJtaw, Zool. 



iv. p. 398. 

 Labrus jaculatrix, Lacep. iii. pp. 425, 464; Shaiv, Zool. iv. p. 485. 



pi. 68. 

 Cojus chatareus. Buck. Ham. pp. 201, 370. pi. 14. f. 34. 

 Toxotes jaculator, Cuv. ^- Val. vii. p. 314. pi. 192 ; Cant. Catal. p. 176 ; 



Agass. Poiss. Foss. iv. p. 262. pi. H ; Cuv. Pk/ne Amm. III. Poiss. 



pi. 44. f. 3 ; Bleeker, Verh. Batav. Genootsch. xxiii. Ch(Btod. p. 31. 



Vert. 10/14. 



The length of the snout equals the width of the space between 

 the eyes. Greenish, with broad darker bands or spots across the back. 

 East Indian Seas ; Polynesia. 



a. Adult : stuffed. Calcutta. Pui'chased of Mr. War\\'ick. 



b. Adult : skeleton. Amboyna. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



c. IIalf-gro\vn. Molucca Sea. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



d. e. IIaLf-gro\vn and young. North Australian Expedition. Pre- 



sented by Dr. J. E,. Elsey. 

 /. Half-groAvn. India. 

 g. Adult. Old Collection. 

 h. Adult: stuffed. 



Skeleton. — The conformation of the skull and of the whole skeleton 

 is so totally different from that of Chcetodon, that we should be 

 fully justified in separating Toxotes from this family; and it might 

 perhaps be much better to place it as a separate group or family, 

 near the Apogonina. The maxiUaiy bone is very slender, and shows 

 no dilatation at the posterior extremity ; the descending branch of 

 the intennaxiUaiy is similar in form to the maxUlaiy, but the upper 

 portion of the bone is much dilated, and has short posterior pro- 

 cesses. The mandibula is thin and transjjarent, highest posteriorly, 

 and gradually tapering anteriorly ; there is no free space between 

 the dentary and articular bones. The head of the vomer is subovate, 

 broader than long, and entirely covered with minute teeth ; the pa- 

 latine and pterj'goid bones have similar teeth, those of the fonner 

 forming a narrow cuneiform band, of the latter an exceedingly large, 

 elliptical patch ; the giossohyal is well developed, broad, ovate, and 

 toothed like the pterygoid. The praeoperculiun has neither a distinct 

 interior ridge nor a muciferous channel ; its limbs meet at a right 

 angle ; the lower is serrated, and nearly one-half the length of the 

 posterior. The operculum is crescent-shaped, with the upper part 



F 2 



