1868,] MR. F. DAY ON NEW INDIAN FISHES. 155 



Length of head i, of pectoral ^, of base of hard dorsal |, of 

 base of dorsal rays }, of base of anal nearly i, of caudal } of 

 the total length. Height of head i, of body f, of dorsal spines 

 tV. of dorsal rays j\, of ventral f , of anal spines ^^g^, of anal rays 

 1^ of the total length. 



Eijes. Upper margins near the profile ; diameter i of length of 

 head, 2 diameters from end of snout and anterior extremity of teeth, 

 1^ diameter apart. 



Teeth. Two in either jaw ; their inferior edges slightly serrated. 



Fins. Dorsal spines nearly as high as the rays. Pectoral mode- 

 rately rounded. Ventral pointed. Caudal cut nearly square. 



Lateral line proceeds straight to beneath middle of dorsal rays, then 

 curves slightly downwards for two scales ; anterior to this termina- 

 tion, and beneath the eighth dorsal ray, the lateral hne is continued 

 along the middle of the side to the tail. The last two scales of the 

 upper branch of the lateral hue are above the two first of its lower 

 branch. 



Air-bladder rather thick. 



Colours. Sea-green, each scale, except those on the chest, having 

 a reddish semilunar-shaped base, equal to about half its width. The 

 scales between the base of the ventral and anal fins reddish. Head 

 rosy. Eye hazel, with a few short blue lines radiating from its lower 

 margin; anteriorly one passes to the upper margin of the tip, whicli 

 it skirts, another to the lower margin of the tip, which it encircles. 

 Dorsal fin bluish green, edged with light blue ; an irregular reddish 

 hne extends along its centre, another passes along its base, and a third 

 below its blue edge. Caudal reddish, with four or five irregularly 

 vertical bluish-green bands. Anal of a lightish blue. Pectoral and 

 ventral reddish, the outer ray blue. 



This description is taken from a female specimen which was cap- 

 tured at Madras on July 1 2th, 1867. 



It is said by the fishermen to be very rarely met with. 



SlLURID^. 

 SiLURUS PUNCTATUS, Sp. nOV. 



B. xii. D. 5. P. ^. V.8. A. 58-62. C. 19. 



Length of specimens from 4 to Sjij- inches. 



Length of head |, of pectoral fin yV> o^ base of dorsal -\, of 

 base of anal |, of caudal ^^ of the total length. Height of^iead 

 ■jL, of body ^, of dorsal fin j\, of ventral -^^, of anal Jj of the 

 total length. 



Eyes small, their covering continuous with the skin of the head ; 

 they are situated above the level of the angle of the mouth, 2^ to 3 

 diameters from the end of the snout, and .5^ diameters apart. 



Head wide, depressed ; neck not elevated, upper profile of head 

 horizontal. Body strongly compressed. 



Mouth wide, cleft narrow ; posterior extremity of the upper jaw 

 extends to beneath the posterior extremity of "the orbit. Lower 

 jaw elevated at its centre, and slightly shorter than the upper. Crown 



