THE BEAKED CH/ETOD0N. I47 



and they have the power of pushing out and re- 

 tracting the lips so as to make a tubular orifice. 

 The teeth are mostly bristle-shaped, flexile, move- 

 able, closely set, and very numerous. The gill- 

 membrane has from three to six rays. The body 

 is scaly, broad, and compressed ; and the dorsal and 

 anal fins are generally terminated with prickles. 



THE BEAKED CHiETODON *. 



The Beaked Chcetodon or Shooting-fish frequents 

 the shores and mouths of rivers in India, and about 

 the Indian islands. It is somewhat more than six 

 inches in length, and is of a whitish or very pale 

 brown colour, with commonly four or five blackish 

 bands running across the body, which is ovate and 

 •compressed. The snout is lengthened and cylin- 

 drical. The dorsal and anal fins are very large, 

 and on the former is a large eye-like spot. 



This fish feeds principally on flies and other small 

 winged insects that hover about the waters it in» 

 habits ; and the mode of taking its prey is very re- 

 markable. When it sees a fly at a distance 

 alighted on any of the plants in the shallow water, 

 it approaches very slowly, and with the utmost cau- 

 tion, coming as much as possible perpendicularly 



* Synonyms.— Chxtodon Tostratus. L'mn. — Chaetodon enceladus. 

 Ska-iv.— — Jaculator or Shooting-fish. Phil. Trafi.-— Beaked Chx- 

 tcdon, Sha-zv. 



