422 TELEOSTEI. PHYSOSTOMI. 



lowish or greenish, minutely dotted with black, and having a round 

 bluish-black spot in the centre near the root. 



Hob. Seas and coasts of India and Burma to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago. Sometimes taken in estuaries and tidal rivers : not un- 

 common at Calcutta. This fish attains 2 feet or more in length. 



2. Genus HEMIRHAMPHUS, Cuv. 



Syn. Hyporhamphus, Euleplorhamphus, Zcnarchoptems, aud ().ri//><>- 

 rhamphut, Gill ; Dermatogenys (K. & v. Hass.), Petera ; Hemirhampho- 

 don, Bleeker; Arhamphus, Giinther. 



Parl kollarchee, Tamil ; Toll, Marathi. 



Branchiostegals rather numerous. Grill-openings wide. Body 

 subcylindrical and elongate. Eves lateral, tipper jaw, formed by 

 the premaxillaries, short and more or less triangular in form ; the 

 lower jaw, in the adult, is elongated far beyond the upper. A 

 nasal barbel usually present. Teeth villiform in both jaws. No 

 finlets posterior to the dorsal fin. Caudal mostly forked or emar- 

 ginate, sometimes rounded. Scales of moderate, or large, size. 

 Air-bladder large, occasionally cellular. Some species are viviparous. 

 No pyloric appendages. 



During the cold season of the year the roes of these fishes are 

 largely collected and salted on the Malabar coast of India, where 

 they are esteemed a great delicacy. 



The scales of species of Hemirhamphi and Exocceti are counted 

 in a straight line between the head and base of the caudal fin 

 and not along the lateral line, consequently the letters L. r. or 

 lateral rows are employed. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



A. Pectorals thrice as long as caudal fin. ... 1. H. longirostris, p. 423. 



B. Pectorals short. 

 a. Tail forked. 



a'. Ventrals arising much nearer to caudal 



than to pectorals. 

 a". No scales on anal fin. D. 18 (16), 



A. 15 (14) 2. H. kucaptei-us, p. 423. 



b". Some scales on anal. D. 15-16, 



A. 15 3. H. canton, p. 423. 



c". No scales on anal or dorsal. 



D. 14-15, A. 13-14 4. H. georyii, p. 424. 



d". A few scales on anal and dorsal. 



D. 13-14, A. 10-12 5. H.far, p. 424. 



V. Ventrals arising about halfway be- 

 tween base of caudal and pectorals . 0. //. reynaldi, p. 425. 

 c'. Ventrals arising about halfway be- 

 tween base of caudal and eye. 



a". Beak red-tipped 7. H. xantJiopterus, 



b". Beak uniformly coloured. [p. 425. 



a'". Scales on anal and dorsal .... S. If. unifasciatm, p. 426. 

 b'". No scales on anal or dorsal . . 9. //. limbatus, p. 426. 



