68 SaUAMIPINNES. 



trimcatcd ; it is twice as high as wide, and has no scrrature or ridge 

 whatever. The suboperciilum is sword-shaped ; the interoperculum 

 has the kiwer margin convex. The praeorhital, Hke the other infra- 

 orbitals, is very narrow ; it is broadest superiorly, and its anterior 

 margin is serrated. The turbinal bones are small, scale-hke bones, 

 which are in immediate contact with each other. There is another 

 pail- of bones, larger than the turbinals, difficult to be referred to any 

 one of the typical bones of the skull of fishes ; thej^ are situated in 

 front of the orbital portion of the principal frontals above the nasal 

 opening, and separated from each other by the anterior portion of 

 the frontals ; they may be considered as a second pair of turbinals, 

 or as supranasals. The prefrontals form the anterior portion of the 

 orbit, and do not extend on to the upper surface of the skull. 



The upper surface of the skull is broad, smooth, and rather flat, 

 the crown being more depressed than the space between the orbits ; 

 the sutui'es are veiy indistinct. The occipital crest is feeble, and 

 is scarcely prominent on the upper surface of the skull : there are 

 two other crests on each side of the crown, witli a groove between ; 

 the exterior is the stronger, and provided with a muciferous channel ; 

 the interior is feeble, and the suprascapida is fixed to it. The hu- 

 meral is slender and styliform. The coracoid and the radius are thin, 

 and not entirely ossified, and foi-m together a broad cavity for the 

 muscles of the pectoral fin ; their junction with the opposite bones 

 is imusually broad and firm. The pubic bones are very narrow and 

 of moderate length ; each is composed of three lameUae, the upper 

 and lower of which are merely indicated. 



There are ten abdominal and fourteen caudal vertehrce, the length 

 of the former portion of the vertebral column being to that of the 

 caudal as 1 : 1-1. The first vertebra is slightly compressed in its lon- 

 gitaidiual chametcr. The neural, haemal, &c. spines are rather feeble. 

 There are five or six spurious interncurals, all being much incUned 

 backwards, and the two anterior of which are dilated into transparent 

 lameUaB ; the intemeiu'als of the dorsal spines are, of course, the 

 strongest. The fii'st interhsemal is of moderate strength and length, 

 and it inclines backwards with the upper extremity. The ribs are 

 of moderate strength, and some of the anterior ones are provided 

 with epipleural spines. 



2. Toxotes microlepis. 



D. ^. A. ;i. L. lat. 42. L. transv. 6/14. 



The length of the snout is less than the width of the space between 

 the orbits. Four black blotches along the upper part of the side. 

 Siara. 



a-c. Fine specimens. Siam. From Mr. Mouhot's Collection. 



Description. — Great as is the similarity between this and the other 

 species, the new one may readily be distinguished by the much 

 smaller scales and the shortness of the snout. In the general habit 



