IS67.] MR. F. DAY ON NEW INDIAN FISHES. 701 



Ventral rather pointed. Anal — first spine short, second strongest, 

 the last one-fourth the longest ; soft portion rounded. Caudal cut 

 nearly square. 



Scales small, in rows passing obliquely upwards and backwards 

 above the lateral line, and horizontally below it. 



Lateral line in upper fifth of body. 



Colours. Greyish, with a golden gloss about the head. A narrow 

 black line passes from the upper margin of the orbit to the last 

 dorsal spine. A second line passes downwards from the upper third 

 of the orbit to the superior spine of the operculum, whence it pro- 

 ceeds to the base of the sixth dorsal ray. A third and similar band 

 commences at the lower margin of the orbit, and, passing beneath 

 the central spine of the operculum, is continued to the upper third 

 of the caudal fin, where it takes the form of rounded blotches. 

 Dorsal fin with a row of black spots along its centre, and a black 

 external edging. Caudal with numerous black spots, and a black 

 margin. Anal black-tipped. Eye golden. 



This description is that of a male specimen. 



Mesoprion russelli, Bleeker. 

 Antika doondiavjah, Russell, pi. 98. 



B.vii. D. 10/14. P. if). V. 1/5. A. 3/8. C. 17. L. 1. 54. 

 L. tr. 9/20. 



The length of specimens varies up to 13 inches. 



Length of head i-, of pectoral \, of base of dorsal spines more 

 than \, of base of dorsal rays \, of base of anal §, of caudal 4- of the 

 total length. Height of head rather more than \, of body \, of 

 dorsal spines g, of dorsal rays ^, of ventral \, of anal spines -^^y of 

 anal rays g of the total length. 



Eyes rather longer than high ; diameter | of length of head, \\ 

 diameter from end of snout, | of a diameter apart. 



Body ovoid, compressed. Dorsal profile rather more convex than 

 the abdominal. 



Lower jaw slightly the longest ; the posterior extremity of the 

 maxilla extends to beneath the anterior third of the orbit. Prse- 

 opercle with a very shallow emargination in the lower third of its 

 vertical limb, which has also a few small serrations upon it ; hori- 

 zontal limb crenulated. Scapular serrated. 



Teeth. An external row of widely separated conical teeth in either 

 jaw, those in the lower the largest, and increasing in size posteriorly. 

 A pair of large canines in upper jaw, with a smaller one contiguous. 

 A row of very fine villiform teeth in both jaws posterior to the co- 

 nical row. Villiform teeth in vomer and palate. 



Fins. Dorsal spines rather weak, the third much the longest ; 

 interspinous membrane rather deeply emarginate ; last spine not so 

 long as the first ray. Pectoral pointed. Ventral pointed, spine 

 weak. First anal spine short and weak, two last of equal length, 

 but the middle spine much the strongest, ('audal emarginate, its 

 base broad. 



