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Eye of good size, its major diameter is equal to tlie depth of the caudal 

 peduncle or to two-sevenths of the greatest body height, and is rather more than 

 the greatest width of the inter-orbital space. 



Mouth-cleft wide, very obhque ; the maxilla reaching a little behind the 

 middle of the pupil ; the mandibles peculiarly emarginate on either side of the 

 symphysis. ViUiform teeth on premaxillje, vomer, palatines and anterior part 

 of lower jaw ; in addition there is a pair of large canines at the symphysis of the 

 upper jaw and a row of irregular (large and small) canines in the lower jaw, 

 one of them being at the symphysis. 



Gill-cleft wide : numerous giU-rakers, the longest of which are nearly two- 

 thirds the major diameter of the eye, on the first branchial arch. Pseudo- 

 branchia3 large. 



Preoperculum with a double border, the angle and the lower limb of the 

 outer border strongly serrated, the angle of the inner border with three small 

 spines. Operculum naked, with two weak points. Sub-operculum much pro- 

 longed behind the angle of the operculum. 



Scales cycloid, large, very thin, extremely deciduous. 



The dorsal fins are separated by an interspace equal to three-fourths the 

 length of the eye : the spinous is considerably the higher : the 1st spine is small, 

 the 3rd is the longest and is equal to two-thirds of the body height, the 4th is 

 nearly as long. The 1st anal spine is short, the 2nd as long as the eye. Caudal 

 forked almost to its base, forming two distinct lobes. Pectoral delicate; its 

 length equals the distance from the tip of the snout to the anterior pre-opercular 

 edge. Ventral long, reaching two-thirds of the distance to the anal : its spine 

 is long, and has its outer edge closely sharply and evenly serrated. 



Colours in life, transparent light brown suffused with pink from the blood- 

 vessels : opercular and visceral regions like burnished silver. 



The intestine is long and much coiled ; and there are five very large pyloric 

 cseca. 



A small fish : adults of both sexes measure from 3 to 4 inches. 



Common in the Bay of Bengal between 60 and 102 fathoms, also found 

 between 145 and 250 fathoms. 



Regd. Nos. 11829: 12437: 12720: 12723 a-j : 12856 or-h : 12857 a-q : 

 13503-13508, 13510. 



I cannot see any difference between this and the species described and 

 figured by Gilbert and Cramer under the name of Melanostoma argyreum. 



Distribution. Bay of Bengal : East Indian Archipelago : (Hawaii). 



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