of the Bay of Bengal &c. 397 



the rest of the body being small and covered with semierect 

 spinelets arranged quincuncially — six deep in the middle line 

 of the scale. Seven rows of scales between the first dorsal 

 fin and the lateral line. The interval between the dorsal fins 

 is equal to the length of the postorbital portion of the head. 

 First dorsal spine almost invisible, second long and smooth 

 throughout. Outer ventral ray produced into a filament 

 longer than the fin. Pectorals long and slender. 



Colours in spirit : — Silvery, with small black dots ; throat 

 and abdomen black ; iris silvery. 



Eight pyloric cajca. An air-bladder. 



Maximum length 65 inches. 



Five specimens, two of which are females with gravid 

 ovaries. 



Hah. Andaman Sea, oft'Eoss Island, in 265 to 271 fatlioms ; 

 Bay of Bengal, between North and South Sentinel Islands, 

 in 220 to 240 fathoms. 



Subgenus Chalinukus (Goode and Bean). 



Maa'urus hispidus, sp. nov. 



D. 11. P. 19. V. 8. 



Head compressed. Tail long and tapering. Snout slightly 

 overhanging the upper jaw, short, truncated, with a small 

 abrupt nasal tubercle. Eye in diameter 3| in the head-length, 

 one fourth longer than the snout, and exceeding the width of 

 the interorbital space. Cleft of mouth lateral, extending to 

 the vertical from the middle of the orbit. Barbel stout, as 

 long as the eye. Teeth in four ranks in the premaxilla, those 

 in the outer rank large, those in the inner ranks minute ; 

 mandibular teeth uniserial, large. Opercular region very 

 long and deep ; preoperculum almost square. Gill-openings 

 wide; the gill-membranes united only at the very front. 

 Attachment of tlie first branchial arch to the wall of the gill- 

 cavity narrow. Scales thin, deciduous, of a uniform rather 

 small size on the body. A scale from the abdomen has from 

 fourteen to eighteen weak, semierect, yielding spines, arranged 

 in five short, very oblique, equidistant rows. Six rows of scales 

 between tlie first dorsal fin and the lateral line. The interval 

 between the dorsal fins is equal to the length of the liead 

 behind the middle of the orbit. Second dorsal spine with 

 numerous small semirecumbent spines. 



Colours in life uniform blackish ; cheeks and iris silvery. 



One specimen, 6f inches long, much injured. 



Hah. Bay of Bengal, between North and South Sentinel 

 Islands, in 220 to 240 fathoms. 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 6. Vol. iv. 28 



