244 ACAIiTTHOPTERTGn. 



2. Oazza aequulcefomds. Length of head 3^- to 4, height of body 2|^ to 3 in the total length. Dorsal 

 spines 2 to 2^ in height of body. Silvery, axiUa usually brown or black : a silvery lateral stpeak in the yomig. 

 Bed Sea, seas of IndxEt to the Malay ArcMpelago. 



1. Gazza minata, Plate LIU, fig. 1. 



Scomber mimitus, Bl. t. 429, f. 2 ; Bl. Schn. p. 36. 



Zeus komah-kwrah, Russell, Msh. Vizag. i, p. 50, pi. 63. 



Bgwiila coma et mmuia, Cnv. and Val. x, pp. 76, 88 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 138. 



Uqimla derdex, Cuv. and Yal. x, p. 91 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 170. 



Gazza mimiia, Bleeker, Stunatra, p. 259, and Makr. p. 85 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 506. 



Gar-chwm, Belooch. 



B. V, D. ^, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. A, 0. 19. 



Length of head 3f , of caudal 4f to 5, height of body 2^ to 2| in the total length. ^Eyes — diameter 

 2|. to 2a ia length of head, 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, and 3/4 apart. Dorsal profile from snout to 

 base of fin ascending in an almost straight line. Supraorbital edge serrated, two spines above the anterior third 

 of the eye. The Tna. Tilla. reaches to below the first third of the eye. Lower edge of preopercle coarsely serrated, 

 especially anteriorly. Teeth — a row of pointed ones in the premaxUlaries, and two canines opposite the 

 symphysis : villiform in the lower jaw, with an outer row of large conical ones, increasing in size with age. 

 Fins — iorsal spines weak, the second and third of about the same height, and equalling 2|- in that of flie 

 body. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout. Ventral reaches two-thirds of the way to the anal. 

 Second anal spine from 21 to 3 in the height of the body. Scales — on body, but absent from or very inconspicuous 

 on the chest. Lateral-lme — on a row of plate-Kke scales and in about 60 tubes, it ceases either below the end 

 of the dorsal or close to the base of the caudal fin. Golowrs — silvery, with irregular bluish or yellowish lines 

 descending from the back to the lateral-hue, the axilla black ; anterior portion of the dorsal fin dark. 



In external appearance Zeus koma karah, 'RTisaeii.=IIqiiMla coma, C.V. strongly resembles E. edentvla, Bl. 

 (see p. 238). It is termed Kotoo hare. Tarn. Jerdon, I. c. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond : the specimen figured (6 inches long) is 

 from the Andamans. 



2. Gazza seqaulsfonnis. 



Eiipp. N". W. Fische, p. 4, t. i, f . 3 ; Bleeker, Sumatra, ii, p. 261 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 153 ; Gunther, 

 Catal. ii, p. 506; Klunz. Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 468. 



B. V, D. VW, P- 15, V. 1/5, A. ^j, C. 17. 



Length of head Z\ to 4, of caudal 4t^, height of body 2-|^ to 3 in the total length. Hyeg — diameter 2| in 

 length of head, 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and 1 diameter apart. Dorsal and abdominal profiles about 

 equally convex. Supraorbital edge serrated, sometimes coarsely so (in one specimen it only feels rough to the 

 touch), two spines above the front third of the eye, the distance between the outer edges of the spines on either 

 side of the orbit equals 2/5 of the length of the head. The length of the hind limb of the premaxillary equals 

 h^ in the total length. The maxilla reaches to below the anterior 1/3 of the eye. Inferior surface of mandible 

 scarcely concave. Lower margin of preopercle rather strongly serrated. Teeth— ia. a row of pointed ones in the 

 upper jaw, having two canines in the median line : villiform in the lower jaw, with an outer row of curved and 

 pointed ones, which increase in size anteriorly, becoming Hke canines on either side of the symphysis. Mm — 

 dorsal spines weak, second and third of about the same length, and equal to from 2 to 2i- in the height of the 

 body. Pectoral as long as the head behind the middle of the eye. Ventral reaches 2/3 of the way to the anal 

 Second anal spine stronger than those of the dorsal, and equal to about 1/3 of the height of the body, the third 

 rough anteriorly in its lower third. Caudal forked. Scales — over body, none on breast and chest. Lateral-Une— 

 in single tubes, ceasing opposite the last third of the soft dorsal. Golowrs — grayish along the back, silvery on 

 the sides and beneath, zigzag irregular bluish bands descend from the back to as low as the lateral-bne. Spinous 

 dorsal fin with brown spots, especially between the second and third spines : axiUa usually brown or black. The 

 young have a silvery band along the sides. 



Habitat. — ^Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago : attaining at least 6 inches in length. It is 

 very common along aU the coasts of India as far as Sind. 



Genus, 13 — Lactaeius, Gm. amd Val. 

 Bramhiostegals seven : pseudohramhice. Body oblong, compressed. Eyes lateral. Cleft of mouth deep, vdth 

 the lower jam promment. Preopercular ma/rgvns entire. Teeth in j'aws small, with one or two pairs of strong canines. 

 Two dorsal fim, the first with seven or eight feeble spines, second and the anal with many rays, but no inlets : anal 

 with three spmes joined to the remadnder of thefki. Scales cycloid, of moderate size, some aoer the second dorsal amd 

 anal fms. Lateral-lme continuous, rnumned. Avr-vessd bifurcated both anterwrly and posteriorlv. Pyloric 

 appendages few. j j- s a 



Lactarius as observed by Giinther (Catal. ii, p. 507), " approaches the femily of Sdcenidm, and especially 

 the Genus OtoM}ms,hj BBYeral characters, namely, by the structure of the mouth, and by the air-bladderf by the 

 muciterous cavities of the skull, and by the anal spines, which are continuous with the soft fin." 



Geographical distribution. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



