1. MUGIL. 433 



vertical from the second soft anal ray, or from the twenty-fourth 

 scale ; it is higher than long, as high as the spinous dorsal ; series 

 of small scales cover a part of the membrane between the rays. The 

 caudal is deeply emarginate, the lobes being rather pointed. The 

 anal is a little higher than the dorsal, and not quite as long as high ; 

 it is scarcely more scaly than the fin opposite. 



Colour light greenish, with shining golden bands ; a blackish spot 

 superiorly, in the axil of the pectoral fin. 



24. Mugil aflanis. 

 D. 4 1 -1-. A. -5-. L. lat. 38. L. transv. 13. 



The height of the body is contained five times and a third in the 

 total length, the length of the head five times. Adipose eyelid weU 

 developed anteriorly and posteriorly. The upper lip is rather broad, 

 situated at the lower side of the snout. The extremity of the 

 maxillary is visible behind and below the angle of the mouth. The 

 pectoral does not extend to the origin of the dorsal, and its length 

 equals the distance of the opercular margin from the pupil. 



Coast of Amoy (China). 



a. Fine specimen. Amoy. Purchased. 



Description of the specimen. — This species is allied to M. pnrsia, 

 strong yhceplialus, and others, from which it may be readily di- 

 stinguished either by the short pectoral fin or the elongate form 

 of the body. The height of the latter is rather 

 less than one-fifth of the total length. The 

 upper profile is very slightly convex, and forms 

 with the lower the margin of the snout, which 

 is rather sharj). The interorbital space is 

 slightly convex, and its \vidth is contained 

 twice and thi'ee-fourths in the length of the 

 head. The snout is as long as the eye, mode- 

 rately broad, somewhat pointed, with the 

 upper lip situated obliquely at its lower side. 

 The angle made by the front margins of the 

 mandibulary bones is obtuse, and the cleft of 

 the mouth is more than twice as broad as it is M. affinis. 



deep ; the free space at the chin between the 



mandibles is short, cimeiform. The maxillary is bent downwards 

 behind the angle of the mouth, where its extremity is visible. The 

 prajorbital is emarginate, and distinctly denticulated anteriorly and 

 posteriorly. The pectoral is inserted above the middle of the depth 

 of the body, and has a very short and obtuse scale in its axil ; it is 

 much shorter than the head, and extends to the eighth scale of the 

 lateral line. The insertion of the ventral falls midway between the 

 base of the pectoral and the vertical from the dorsal. There are 

 twenty-four scales between the snout and the spinous dorsal fin. 

 The latter commences a little nearer to the snout than to the base of 

 the caudal, above the tenth scale of the lateral line ; its anterior 



VOL. III. 2 F 



