1865.] MR. F. DAY ON THE FISHES OF COCHIN. 17 
Length of specimen from 2.8, to 6 inches. 
Not uncommon in Cochin. At Aden, in February 1864, very fine 
specimens were brought by the fishermen for sale. 
Prrerois voxitans, L. Gm. 
Purrooah (Mal.). 
B. vii. D. 12. P..14; Vi 1/5... A. 3/6, Cs 13; 
10—11° 
Length of specimens from 733; to 733; inches. 
Not uncommon. 
Prerois MILES, Bennett. 
P. miles, Cantor. 
B.vii. D.12——. P.12. VWei/s. A. 3/7. C.-14: 
11—12° 
Length of specimens from 103 to 113 inches. 
_ Head. Between and internal to the two nasal orifices is a sharp 
spine, directed upwards and backwards ; there are some roughnesses 
along the upper margin of the orbit (which in old specimens become 
spiniferous), and one large spine at the posterior superior angle of 
the orbit. The temporal ridge, commencing about the centre of the 
posterior margin of the orbit, is spiny in the whole of its course 
towards the lateral line. The space between the orbits is shallow, 
and rather concave from side to side; down its centre runs a deep 
groove, continued anteriorly as far as the intermaxillary bones, 
whilst posteriorly it expands over the occiput, where it is bordered 
on either side by an outwardly curved blade-like crest, flattened from 
side to side, and which terminates in its posterior superior part in 
two large flat spines; these in old specimens become several badly 
marked spines. The ridge on the preorbital and infraorbital bones 
is spiny ; it proceeds downwards over the cheeks towards the angle 
of the preeoperculum, from which arise three spines, the superior of 
which is directed backwards, the two inferior backwards and down- 
wards. In old subjects this ridge is very rugged, and, instead of 
having a single row of spines, it has two or three rows of smaller 
ones, consequently much increasing its width. At the centre of 
the supraorbital ridge is a prominence, from which arises a fleshy 
filament in young specimens, which is half the diameter of the eye, 
but appears to become shorter with age: there is generally another 
at the angle of the mouth, and some others at the inferior margin 
of the preoperculum. 
Mouth horizontal ; superior maxillary bones do not reach as far 
as the anterior margin of the orbit. Preeoperculum, posterior limb 
slightly oblique, angle rounded, and with three large spines ; lower 
limb nearly horizontal, entire. Sub- and inter-opercula entire. 
Operculum having a blunt spinous extremity. Under surface of 
lower jaws grooved. Shoulder-bones entire in old specimens ; two 
spines in upper portion of suprascapular. 
This fish arrives at Cochin in the commencement of the monsoon ; 
but it is not common. From one I took twenty-one specimens of 
Proc. Zoou, Soc,—1865, No, II. 
