ON ASIATIC BLOWPIPE FISHES. 95 
insects with a drop of water was first attributed to the Sciena 
jaculatrix, now known as Toxotes Jaculator. In1788, Gmelin, in 
his edition of “ Linnzus,” p. 1244, gave Chetodon rostratus, Linn., 
as identical with the Jaculator fish, referring to the paper of 
Schlosser, 1764, vol. liv., p. 9, t. 89, observing :—“ Victitans in- 
sectis supra aquam volitantibus, in que rostro tubuloso exqui- 
sitissime explodit guttulam.” At page 1282 he gives Scarus 
Schlosseri, which he considered as identical with Pallas’s fish 
(‘ Spicilegia,’ viii., p. 41), which is Sciena Jjaculatriz of Schlosser 
(Trans. Roy. Soc.), and he does not suggest that this fish shoots 
insects. At p. 1273 he inserts Sparus insidiator of Pallas, which 
is an Hpibulus, adding, “Oris in longissimum tubum emissilis 
ope, Chetodontis rostrato more insecta aquatica preedans.” 
Bonnaterre, ‘Encyclopedique et Méthodique,’ 1788, followed 
Gmelin, and in 1802 Lacépéde did the same, but gave, in vol. iii., 
pp. 425, 463, a Labrus jaculatriz, and in vol. iv., "pp. 5, 17, a 
Scarus Schlosseri, these two forms being evolved from the Sciena 
Jjaculatriz, Schlosser, the “ Scienis vel Sparis” jaculatriz of Pallas. 
The next author was Shaw, who, in vol. iv. of his ‘ General 
Zoology,’ 1803, describes Scarus Schlosseri as identical with 
Gmelin’s species, p. 1282, or Pallas’s form, in note, p- 41, which 
is the same as that in the ‘ Philosophical Transactions,’ vol. lvi., 
and wherein no notice is taken of its shooting insects ; while this 
fish with a figure taken from the ‘Transactions’ likewise appears 
at p. 485 as Labrus jaculator, and is said to be a “native of the 
Indian seas, preying on insects in the same manner as Chetodon 
jaculator.” 
Omitting other authors, we may well pass on to Cuvier and 
Valencienne’s grand ‘ Histoire Naturelle des Poissons,’ in which, 
at vol. vii., p. 310, this question is considered, but without the 
production of any new evidence on the subject ; and it is decided 
that Sciena jaculatriz is to be known as Toxotes jaculator, 
Cuv. & Val., also that it discharges drops of water at insects. In 
the same work it is also accepted that Governor Hommel’s account 
referred to Chetodon rostratus, Linneeus, or Chelmon rostratus, 
Cuv. & Val., while he merely referred to one species of fish. 
Now another change is proposed. Hommel is supposed to be 
wrong; the fish figured with a tubular mouth is assumed to have 
none such, and not to keep it below the surface; and the 
Species therefore must have been erroneously recognised when 
