55 



Dorsal 15 commences about midway between anterior 

 margm of eye and base of caudal, highest in front, upper 

 margm concave, 2 rows of scales at its base ; longest rays 

 nearly !■ length of head. Pectorals pointed, f length of head, 

 with an elongated scaly appendage abo^'e the base. Ventrals 

 ;^ length of head, inserted under middle of dorsal and with a 

 long basal scale. Anal 9, small, lower margin concave, 2 rows 

 of scales at base ; anterior rays about -J height of longest ray of 

 dorsal. Caudal deeply lobed, U times length of head, with two 

 pomted lammse of scales at its centre. Lat i. 87, lat. tr. |r'. 



Colour (of preserved specimen) bluish on top. silvery below'; 

 dorsal dark, and both it and anal and ventrals covered with 

 mmute dark specks, pectorals dark and also with minute 

 specks. (This description is that of the Natal specimen). 



Family 4 CLUPEID/E. 



Mouth, large terminal ; maxillaries forming margin of upper 

 jaw, each of three pieces. Teeth, small, rudimentarv, or 

 wantmg. Branchiostegels 6-15. Pseudobranchia? present. No 

 lateral Ime. Eyes with or without adipose eve-lids. Abdomen 

 rounded or compressed and frequently armed with bony plates 

 (mcludes the group Clupeina and Dussumieriina of Gunth 

 VI, 413-467). 



Key to Genera.. 

 Belly rounded, no abdominal scutes, a sih-ery band. 



Dorsal, 11-18 r-'^, Spratteloides. 



Belly rounded, no abdominal scutes, no silvery band 



Dorsal, 18-20 " Etrumeus. 



Body compressed with scutes. 



Anal, 15-25 Clupea. 



Body compressed, with scutes. 



Anal of more than 30 rays . . Ilisha 



SPRATELLOIDES. Bleekei. 



Body elongate, slightly compressed, without abdominal 

 scutes. :\Iouth terminal. Scales deciduous. Teeth minute 

 or absent. Dorsal opposite or nearly opposite ventrals. 



Spratelloides sestuarius, n. sp. 



Depth of body, 4I, in total length, excluding caudal ; equals 

 length of head. Snout 3* times in length of head, shorter 

 than diameter of eye, which is four times in head ; the lower 

 jaw slightly projects beyond upper. Maxillary, broad ; reaches 

 to near vertical of anterior border of eye." Supplemental 

 bone broad ; slightly broader than maxillary. About 30 gill- 

 rakers on the lower branch of the outer gill-arch 



[C.P. 5-'i3-] 



