86 MEMOISS OF TEE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 



or even the hinder border of the eye ; a bluntish knob below the symphysis of the- 

 lower jaw. Preopercle with some serrations in the young, becoming indistinct in 

 the adult ; opercular spines feeble. 



Jaws with a band of villiform teeth, the outer row in the premaxillaries 

 and the inner row in the mandibles enlarged. 



Scales of body moderate and ctenoid, in 55 to 60 series above the lateral 

 line, in 7/1/18 behind the spinous dorsal; scales of head cycloid. Fine scales 

 cover the bases of the .soft dorsal and anal fins; caudal fin wholly scaly in the 

 adult. Lateral line forming a long gentle curve to above the anal fin, the tube- 

 bearing scales about 52, the tubes arborescent posteriorly. Three pores across 

 the front of the snout ; the free edge of the skin of the snout with five orifices and 

 a slight lateral lobe ; chin with a large open median jiorc, and two more on the 

 side of either ramus. A short barbel between the median pore and the anterior 

 lateral one and a very minute one at the posterior pore. 



Dorsal fins with ix or x, i 24 or 25 rays, the first originating above the 

 pectoral-base, its last spine united to but not so long as that of the soft dorsal; 

 spines weak and flexible, the thii-d the longest, 1-75 to 2 in the length of the head, 

 and 1-33 in that of its base, which is 1-67 in that of the second dorsal, the rays of 

 which increase in length to about the fifteenth, which is 1-25 in the third spine 

 and 2-4 in the length of the head ; length of its base 2-67 in that of the body, 

 f'audal fin cuneate in the young, rounded in tb.e adiilt, one sixtli to one seventh 

 in the body -length. Anal with ii 7 rays, originating below the eighth or ninth, 

 dorsal ray, the spines strong, the second about half the length of the head ?.nd 

 nearly as long as the first ray ; length of anal 3-25 in that of the second dorsal. 

 Pectoral pointed, with 18 rays, the fifth the longest, 1-38 in the length of the 

 head, ami extending to below the origin of the soft dorsal. Ventral inserted 

 below the pectoral-base, and a little shorter than that fin, the outer ray the 

 longest, terminating in a short filament, which disappears with age. 



Pyloric appendages five. 



Silvery, with a light streak along each row of scales. A dark Itluish spot 

 on llie o|)ei'eles, iiiost (listiiict in the young. First dorsal wilh a black inter- 

 spiiions lueiiibrMiie in tlie young, wliich is gi'adually reduced to a dark outer 

 border' in the adult; outei' third of Ihe second dorsal stained with gray; caudal,, 

 anal, jind ventral fins yellowisli. {Alhidii, white.) 



The above description is mosMy a reaiTangement, extracted from Day's 

 description and figures, but should suffice to identify the species, should it be 

 rediscovered b.N' out- noi'therii observers. 



Historicnl : — Large and aliinKhiiit as it is on the coasts of Hindoostan the 

 life history of this fish is pitiably meagi-e. If D;iy be correct as to the identity 

 of lioUi roibor with Scut na albuhi, the earliest notice of this tine species came 

 from the i)en of Dr. Francis Buchanan in his history of the fishes found in the 

 (ianges and its tr'ibutory streams, and it was not until eight years later that it 

 received fi'oni Valenciennes the name by which it has since been generally known. 



