34 Mr. Bennett's Observations on Fishes 



cumstances. In one instance, subsequently mentioned by Mr. Frembly, 

 the water appears to be almost, if not entirely, fresh. " The pond," he 

 says, " from which our table was supplied, is but slightly, and probably 

 in the rainy season not at all, impregnated with salt; it being situated at 

 the head of a small creek, which empties itself into the bay. This pond I 

 also know to be supplied by the natives with the small fry collected on 

 the shore in the manner before stated." 



Whether the individual species which I shall now proceed to describe 

 are put into the ponds, Mr. Frembly is unable to state with certainty. 

 He states, however, that " a vast number of very similar ones are ; that 

 they grow to the length of from twelve to fifteen inches ; and that they 

 are fat and well- flavoured." 



Although I have given, with each description, the dimensions of the 

 specimens, it appears probable, from this latter remark, that the indi- 

 viduals, which I have had the opportunity of examining, have by no 

 means attained their full growth. Their colours are also probably in 

 some degree changed by the spirit in which they are preserved. Only 

 one specimen of each exists in the collection, except of the Acanthurus 

 fiavescens, of which there are four. 



1. BlENNIUS SORDIDUS. 



Bl. pinnulis superciliorum palmatis ; pinnd dorsali subbifidd, radiis 

 apice appendiculatis, anteriore sublibero: lined laterali deflexd, postice 

 obsoletd. 



D. 29. (11, 18.) P. 14. V. 2. A. 21. (2, 19.) C. 13. 



The body is transversely wrinkled throughout, except upon the head. 

 Its prevailing colour is dirty reddish brown, somewhat paler beneath, 

 varied only by two or three large dark brown blotches on the back, that 

 nearest to the caudal fin being the most deeply coloured. The fins are 

 of the same colour as the body: the dorsal one being marked wnth a 

 darker spot at its anterior part, and exhibiting faint traces of a darker 

 longitudinal hne near the middle of its hinder portion : the caudal fin is 

 crossed by three lines or series of spots of a somewhat deeper colour. 



The extremities of the rays of all the fins project beyond the mem- 

 brane; those of the dorsal one have affixed to each of them a filamentous 



