266 



scales. The mouth, also, is smaller and directed more upward 

 than in others. The teeth are apparently larger than A. uioiiticola. 

 "Color in alcohol uniform pale brownish, 

 "The dorsal fins were apparently black in life."^'6'^ 

 In their last sentence the authors themself^raw already 

 the attention on the characters in which this species, of which 

 they give a figure, difiers from all other s^zc'i&'&oi Agonostonia. 

 We doubt the correctness, that it is an Agonostoma, as in 

 that genus, at least in the indo-pacific species, the upper lip 

 is thick, the mandible covered with a thick, callous, trenchant 

 lower lip, the mouth is nearly horizontal, the lower jaw is 

 never projecting but more or less included. The ventrals 

 are more abdominal than in the figure ; the pectorals falci- 

 form, inserted much higher; the caudal emarginate. We even 

 doubt that the described species belongs to the Miigilidae 

 at all, as the first dorsal has five spines instead of four, as 

 in all Miigilidae; as the ventrals have, according to the figure, 

 one spine and 4 rays, while in all il//<_^'-/7/^/rt^ the ventrals have 

 1.5. Further on account of the character of the caudal peduncle, 

 of the pectorals and their base, of the construction of the 

 operculum, which are different from those of the Miigilidae. 



We suppose that some mistake must have taken place. The 

 figure has a superficial likeness with Carassiops. 



4. Fam. Atherinidae. 



More or less elongate, subcylindrical or somewhat compressed, 

 covered with cycloid or ctenoid scales of moderate or small 

 size. No lateral line but the posterior lateral scales may have 

 a pit or a rudimentary tube; a silvery band along the sides, 

 sometimes underlaid by black pigment. Eyes lateral, without 

 gelatinous eyelids. Cleft of mouth moderate, extending to or 

 beyond anterior margin of eye. Mouth usually terminal, more or 

 less oblique ; intermaxillaries more or less protractile, maxil- 

 laries without supplemental bone. Jaws equal or not. Teeth 

 usually small, on jaws, also on vomer, palatines and pterygoids 

 where they may be wanting. First dorsal with 4 — 8 weak 

 spines or 4 — 5 undivided rays or i spine and 3 — 6 undivided 

 rays, only in one genus 5 strong spines. It is situated before, 

 opposite to or behind anus. Second dorsal removed from first, 



