98 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



reaches to below the front edge of the orbit. Lower margin of preopercle serrated in its last half, in the 

 British Museum specimen these serrations are less apparent than in mine. Teeth — fine. Fins — dorsal spines of 

 moderate strength, the second not quite so high as the third and fourth which are equal to two-fifths the height 

 of the body ; last dorsal spiae rather longer than the one preceding it, and one third shorter than the third or 

 fourth. Pectoral reaches to nearly above the anal : ventral three-fourths of the distance to the anal : anal spines 

 of about equal length or the second slightly the longer : caudal deeply forked. Scales— i\e sheath to the dorsal 

 and anal fins high. Free portion of the tail as wide at its commencement as it is long. Colours — silvery, with a 

 narrow dark edge to the dorsal interspinous membrane and a brown spot at the middle of each dorsal ray just 

 above the sheath. 



Hamilton Buchanan states that Ghcmda setifer has ten prickles ia its dorsal fin, the first of which is very 

 short ; but irrespective of his description he has left a drawing of it, labelled hatcliamda, whilst amongst the 

 collection of fishes received by the British Museum from Mr. Waterhouse exists one, the type of Oerres altispmis, 

 Giinther, having ten dorsal spines, not nine as stated in the Catalogue. It is closely allied to 0. lucidus, but 

 possesses one more dorsal spine, a more or less serrated border along the horizontal edge of the preopercle,_and 

 one more row of scales between the lateral-line and the base of the dorsal fin. Bleeker in his "Pisces 

 Hindostan, &c." gives " p. 38, Scolopsides (?) setifer, Blkr. Chanda (?) setifer, Buchan." 



Habitat. — B,iver Hooghly at Calcutta, where it is common, attaining to 4 inches ia length. 



2. Gerres oblongus, Plate XXV, fig. 2. 



Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 479 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 354, and iv, p. 264. 



Gerres gigas, Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 262, and Fische d. Sudsee, p. 30, pi. xxiv, fig. A. 



B. vi, D. ^, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. 48-50, L. tr. 5^/. 



Length of head 3/13, of caudal 2/9, height of body nearly 1/4 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/3 

 of length of head, 3/4 (in the young 1) of a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. Snout rather elevated. 

 The maxilla reaches to below the front edge of the orbit. Preopercle entire. The groove for the posterior 

 process of the premaxiUary reaches to opposite the middle of the eye, it is rounded behind and scaleless. 

 Teeth — fine, i^ms^dorsal spines not very strong, compressed, the second curved and much the highest, being 

 almost as long as the head, and three-fourths of that of the body below it : pectoral long, reaching to above the 

 anal spines : anal spines weak, the third rather the longest and equalling the length Of the post-orbital portion 

 of the head : caudal deeply forked, with some fine scales upon it. Scales — 5f rows between the lateral-line and 

 the base of the dorsal fin. The scaly sheath of both dorsal and anal fins moderately developed. Free portion 

 of the tail as high at its commencement as it is long. Gqlowrs — silvery, eye golden. The young are considerably 

 darker above the lateral-line, and show indistinct bands. 



Habitat. — It would seem to extend throughout the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 

 The young are sometimes captured at Madras, and I have also taken this fish at the Andaman islands, where I 

 procured the specimen figured, which is a little over nine iuches in length. 



3. Gerres filamentosus, Plate XXV, fig. 3. 



Zeus ivodawahah, Russell, i, p. 52, pi. 67. 



Gerres filamientosus, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 482 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 345, and iv, p. 261 ; Day, Fishes of 

 Malabar, p. 159 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 56 (not C.V.) ; Klunz. Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 773. 



Gerres punctatus, C. V. vi, p. 480 ; Bleeker, Batav. p. 521 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 346, and iv, p. 260 • 

 Day, Fish. Malab. p. 159. 



Gatoohcemmv fila/meritoswm Cantor, Catal. p. 56. 



Viapterus filamentosus, Bleeker, Temate, p. 231, and Revis. Gerrini, p. 5. 



Bicupterus punctatus, Bleeker, Revis. Gerr. p. 9. 



Jaggari, Tel. (Ganjam) : Oodam,. Tam. : Nga-wet-sat, Arrak. 



B. vi, D. ^, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. A C. 17, L. 1. 45-48, L. tr. 6/14, Csea. pyl. 3. 



Length of head 1/4 to 4/17, of caudal 2/9, height of body rather above 1/3 of the total length. Eyes 



diameter 1/3 of length of head, 4/5 to 1 diameter from the end of snout and also apart. The maxilla extends 

 to below the front edge or first fourth of the orbit. Preopercle entire, its angle rounded. Opercle with two 

 blunt points. Teeth-^&ne in the jaws, i^'ms— dorsal spines of moderate strength, the second prolonged, 

 sometimes, especially in the adult, extending to the caudal fin, in others as in the immature, it is not so high 

 as the body : last four or five dorsal spines shorter than the rays : pectoral rather longer than the head : ventral 

 reaching three-fourths of the way to the anal : second anal spine stronger but not quite so long as the third 

 which equals half the length of the head : caudal deeply forked. Free portion of the taU as high at its commence- 

 ment as it is long. Scales — the sheath along the bases of the dorsal and anal fins well developed, five or six fine 

 rows of scales between the lateral-line and the base of the dorsal sheath. CoZowrs— silvery in'the adult with 

 rows of short oblong horizontal bluish spots along the upper half of the body, on the scales being rubbed ofi" 

 they are fo^d to be continuous, forming lines : snout black : a blackish spot anteriorly on the base of each 

 dorsal spine and ray just above the scaly sheath, and usually a dark edge to the soft dorsal : caudal greyish 

 externally : the other fins yellow with numerous fine dots on the fin membrane. 



