23. EQUULA. 503 



spine is equal to, oii shorter than, one-half the height of the body. 

 The spinous dorsal without black ; back with irregidar dark spots. 

 East Indian Seas. 



a. Adult : bad state. Madras. Presented by T. C. Jerdon, Esq. 

 h. Half-grown : bad state, Madi-as. Presented by T. C, Jerdon, Esq. 

 c. Half-grown. 



12. Equula leuciscus. 



"• 16- ^- n- 



The height of the body is three times in the total length, the 

 leng-th of the head 44. No spines above the orbit. The mandibula 

 is straight, the lower prseopercular margin very indistinctly serrated. 

 Scales small and deciduous. The second dorsal spine is filiform, 

 higher than the body. The spinous dorsal without black ; back in- 

 distinctly dotted with brown. 



Sea of Amboyna. 



a. Fine specimen. AmbojTia. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



Description of the specimen. — The body is rather oblong, its greatest 

 depth being one-third of the total length ; the upper profile is some- 

 what more convex than the lower. The length of the head is 44 in 

 the total; the snout is somewhat produced, obtusely conical, and 

 equal in length to the diameter of the eye, which is one-thii'd of the 

 length of the head. The upper and lower profiles of the snout are 

 straight, the latter being more oblique. There are no spines above 

 the eye. The width of the interorbital space equals the length of 

 the eye. The groove between the orbits is broadest anteriorly, and 

 becomes narrower posteriorly; it is 1| as long as wide. The angle 

 of the praeoperculum is somewhat obtuse, the lower limb having an 

 oblique direction. 



The dorsal fin begins immediately behind the vertical from the 

 base of the ventrals ; the second spine is very long, fihform, and 

 extends beyond the middle of the soft portion ; the third spine also is 

 elongate, but only one-half the length of the preceding. The cau- 

 dal is forked, and its length is one-fifth of the total. The anal 

 commences vertically below the eighth dorsal spine ; its second spine 

 is flexible, and less than one-half the length of the second of the 

 dorsal. The pectoral is short, obtusely pointed ; its length is one- 

 eighth of the total. The ventral is inserted behind the pectoral, and 

 is composed of a rather stout spine and five rays ; its length is con- 

 tained ten times and a half in the total. 



The scales are small, cycloid, and deciduous. The lateral line is 

 slightly curved, and continued to the caudal fin. 



Silvery : back dotted with brownish ; the upper jaw is brown ; 

 the axil of the pectoral minutely dotted with black. 



inches, lines. 



Total length 5 3 



Height of the body 1 9 



Length of the head 1 1 



