560 MR. F. DAY ON INDIAN FISHES. [May 9, 



slightly backwards ; angle rounded ; horizontal limb entire. Gill- 

 opening cleft to beneath the anterior margin of the orbit. 



Fins. Pectoral commences opposite to the summit of the suboper- 

 culum ; ventral under the lower insertion of the root of the pectoral; 

 first dorsal over the posterior third of the pectoral, and terminating 

 close to tlie second dorsal. Anal, which has no free spines anterior 

 to it, commences under about the thirteenth dorsal ray. Dorsal 

 spines low, not strong, membrane deeply emarginate ; spine of second 

 dorsal weak, the anterior portion of the fin the highest, its posterior 

 two-thirds being low and parallel to the back, divided by a short 

 interspace from two free rays, which are placed close together, the 

 last being elongated and reaching the root of the caudal. Pectoral 

 longest superiorly. Ventral pointed, and without any groove along 

 its base. Form of anal and the free rays posterior to it of the same 

 character as the dorsal. Caudal deeply lobed in its posterior three- 

 fourths. 



Scales over body, upper surface of opercles, and cheeks ; a slight 

 groove along the second dorsal and anal fins. 



Lateral line passes straight to opposite the commencement of the 

 second dorsal, then slightly descends, and from opposite the origin 

 of the anal proceeds direct to the centre of the caudal, on which it 

 is continued without any elevation to its end. 



Colours. Back deep slate-colour ; abdomen white. A deep-blue 

 line runs from the eye to the posterior margin of the dorsal fin above 

 the tail, a second from the inferior margin of the orbit to the centre 

 of the caudal fin. Between these lines the colour is of a dull yellow; 

 below the inferior blue line at first yellowish, then gradually shaded 

 from bluish to white. Caudal yellowish green. Anal yellowish. 

 Pectoral slate-coloured, tipped with yellow. Dorsal darkish. Eyes 

 golden. Lips blue. 



Two specimens were captured in March 1867, both of which dif- 

 fered from the S. bipinnulatus, more especially in having one ray 

 less in the dorsal fin, in there being no free spines before the anal, 

 and in the praeoperculum being entire. 



Hab. Madras, where it is said to attain 2 feet in length. 



COSSYPHUS NEILLI, Sp. nov. 



B. vi. D. 12/10. P. 16. V. 1/5. A. 3/12. C. 14. L. 1. 34. 



L. tr. 5/12. 



Length of specimens 7^X5 inehes. 



Length of head f , of pectoral ^, of base of hard dorsal a little 

 above \, of base of soft dorsal g, of base of anal i, of caudal ^ of 

 the total length. Height of head |, of body f, of hard dorsal jL 

 of soft dorsal Jy, of ventral, including prolonged rays, \, of anal 

 spines ^, of anai rays g of the total length. 



Eijes. Upper margin not far from the profile. Diameter | of length 

 of head, 1 diameter apart, 1^ diameter from end of snout. 



Body rather elongated ; snout produced ; the dorsal profile slightly 

 more convex than that of the abdomen. 



