1. ATHERIXA. 399 



16, Atherina pingius. 



Atherina pinguis, Lacep. v. p. 372. pi. 11. tig. 1 ; Bleek. Act. Soc. Sc. 

 Indo-Nederl. viii., Sumatra, viH. p. 24. 



afRnis, Benn. Proc. Comm. Zool. Soc. i. 1831, p. 16G. 



pectoralis, Cuv. ^- Val. x. p. 447. 



D. 6 1 3^. A. ^^. L. lat. 42-45. L. transv. 7. Vert. 20/23. 



The origin of the spinous dorsal fin is at some distance behind the 

 vertical from the vent, consequently the dorsal is much nearer to 

 the anal than to the root of the ventral ; its distance from the pf^s- 

 terior margin of the operculum is equal to one length of the head 

 and one-third. The height of the body is contained five times and 

 two-thirds in the total length, the length of the head four times and 

 two-thirds. The diameter of the eye is two-fifths of the length of 

 the head, equal to the width of the interorbital space, and much 

 longer than the snout. Snout obtuse, short, with the cleft of the 

 mouth very oblique, and the upper jaw overlapping the lower ; the 

 maxillary extends beyond the vertical from the anterior margin ol 

 the eye. Teeth distinct in the jaws, on the vomer and the palatine 

 bones. The silvery streak occupies the third seriee of scales and the 

 adjoining quarter of the fourth. The membrane in which the dorsal 

 scales are rooted is minutely dotted with white ; a blackish blotch 

 on the posterior extremity of the pectoral ; iris with a blackish spot 

 superiorly. 



Eastern coasts of Africa. Bombay. Coasts of Australia and of 

 the islands north of it. 



a. Fine specimen. Madagascar. Presented by Dr. J. E, Gray. 



6. Fine specimen. Aneiteum, From Mr. Macgillivray's Collection. 



c-d, e. Adult, Sydney. 



f-g, h. Adult. South Australia. From Mr. Dring's Collection;. 



i-Jc, 1-0, p. Adult and half-grown. Australia. 



q, r. Adult. Australia. 



s. Adult : skeleton. Sydney. Presented by Sir J. Eichardson. 



Forster has described a species of Atherina from New Caledonia 

 under the name of A. lacunosa, which is probably identical with the 

 above species (Desoript. Anim. ed. Licht. p. 298 ; Bl. Schn. p. 112). 

 The sketch preserved in the British Museum is a rough pencil- 

 drawing, and does not indicate any specific character ; some streaks 

 on the pectoral fin, which are blacker than the rest of the drawing, 

 seem to be intended for a peculiar marking of that fin. "When, there- 

 fore, Valenciennes (x, p. 454) applies Forster's denomination to speci- 

 mens without a distinct blackish spot on the pectoral fin, it is quite 

 arbitrary. Thej' are, at all events, very closely allied to A, pinguis, 

 and may prove to be a mere variety of it, in which case Forster's 

 name wiU have the priority. 



The abdominal and caudal portions of the vertebral column are 

 nearly of equal length ; the apophyses of the anterior caudal vertebrae 

 do not form a canal for the air-bladder, as in A. hoyeri and other 

 species. 



