FAMILY, III - SCOMBRESOCID^. 519 



to the hind edge of the head, and reaches to the end of the base of the root of the anal : the pectoral reaches as 



far as the end of the dorsal. Scales — 7 rows between the base of the dorsal fin and the lateral-line. Colours 



bluish along the back, becoming silvery on the sides and beneath. Pectoral with many rounded and oval spots, 

 sometimes transversely arranged in bands, in others irregularly placed. Out of 3 specimens np to 13 inches 

 in length, taken together at Madras, two had black spots upon the dorsal fin: ventral white or .with spots. 



Eabitai. — Seas 'of India to the Malay Archipelago. The specimen figured (2/3 life-*size) was from 

 Madras. 



3. Exocoetus evolans, Plate CXX, fig. 5. 



Lin. Syst. Nat. i, p. 521 ; Linn. Gmel. p. 1400 ; Bloch, t. 398; Bl. Schn. p. 430, t. 84; Cuv. and Val. 

 xix, p. 138 ; Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 145 ; Bleeker, Cape of Good Hope, p. 76, and Atl. Ich. vi, p. 69 ; Yarrell, 

 Brit. Fishes, 3rd Ed. i, p. 474 ; Giinther, Catal. vi, p. 282 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 326. 



JExocoetus volitans, Lacepede, v, p. 401, t. xii, f. 2 ; Pennant, Brit. Zool. p. 441, t. 78 ; Donov. Brit. Fish, 

 ii, p. 31 ; Brown, Phil. Trans. Ixviii, p. 790, pi. 12 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. 2nd Ed. i, p. 453 ; Benn. Whaling 

 Voyage, ii, p. 284. 



JExocaetus splendens, Clarck, Abel, Journ. China, 1818, p. 4 (apud Giinther). 



Exocoetus volans, (Solander), Richardson, Ich. China, p. 264. 



D. 12-14, P. 14, V. 6, A. 13-16, C. 17, L. 1. 40-42, Vert. 25/19. 



Length of head 5, of caudal 5, height of body 6 in the total length. Hyes — diameter 3| in the length of 

 head, 3/4 of a diameter from the end of snout, and 1 apart. Interorbital space flat. The greatest height of the 

 head equals its length anterior to the hind edge of the preopercle. Snout obtuse when the mouth is closed, 

 rendering the two profiles equally convex. Fins — anterior dorsal rays not half so long as the head, the fin 

 arises above or slightly in advance of the origin of the anal. Pectoral reaches to the base of the caudal. 

 Ventral short, about 1/2 as long as the head, reaching 1/2 way to the base of the anal. Caudal lobed, the 

 lower much the longer. Scales — 61 rows between the origin of the dorsal fiji and the lateral-line. Colov/rs — 

 bluish along the back,Jbecoming lighter on the sides and beneath. Pectoral gray or black and with a light edge. 



Dr. Giinther, Catal. vi, p. 283, has separated from this species as U. obtusirostris, a form from tropical 

 and subtropical seas which " has the snout shorter and the head more elevated," one more abdominal vertebra 

 ■ and 7 rows of scales above the lateral- Hne. 



Habitat. — Indian and tropical and sub-tropical seas, attaining at least 9 inches in length. The specimen 

 figured (life-size) was from Bombay, it appears to be numerous at the Andamans. 



4. Exocoetus furcatus. 



MitcheU, Lit. and Phil. Trans. New York, i, p. 449, pi. v, f . 2 ; Giinther, Catal. vi, p. 286. 



D. 13, P. 13, V. 6, A. 9-10. 



A pair of barbels at the symphysis of the lower jaw. Fins — dorsal moderately high, but its longest rays 

 do not extend to the caudal. The ventrals reach the root of the caudal, and the pectorals nearly as far : the 

 former fin arises slightly nearer the base of the caudal than to the anterior extremity of the snout. Colours — 

 the posterior part of the ventrals and the lower part of the anal black. Young with three broad vertical bands 

 across the anterior half of the abdomen : opercles and pectorals marbled with black : lower caudal lobe with 

 three dark cross bands (Gunther). 



Sabitat. — Indian and Atlantic Oceans. A small specimen, 2| inches in length, is in the British Museum, 

 and reputed to have been brought from India. 



5. Exocoetus Bahiensis, Plate CXXI, fig. 10. 



Ranz. Nov. Com. Acad. Sc. Inst. Bonon. v, 1842, p. 362, t. 38 ; Giinther, Catal. vi, p. 293 ; Bleeker, 

 Atl. Ich. vi, p. 71 ; Klunz. Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 585. 

 Exocoetus vermiculatus, Poey, Mem. Cuba, ii, p. 300. 

 Exocoetus albidactylus, Gill, Proceed. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1863, p. 167. 

 Exocoetus spilonopterus, Bleeker, Exoc. p. 113, and Atl. Ich. Scomb. t. iii, f. 2. 



B. xi, D. 12-13, P. 16, V. 8, A. 9-10, C. 19, L. 1. 60. 



Length of head 6^ of caudal 4^, height of body 6i in the total length. JE/j/es— diameter 1/3 of length 

 of head, nearly 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, and 1 J apart. Interorbital space nearly flat. Barbels^ — 

 absent. Teeth — rudimentary. Fins — dorsal commences between the front edge of the eye and the posterior 

 extremity of the lower lobe of the caudal fin, its anterior rays 1/2 as long as the head. Ventral arises midway 

 between front end of snout and end of upper caudal lobe, it reaches to the centre of the base of the anal. 

 Pectorals reach to the end of the base of the dorsal. Anal commences below the last third of the dorsal fin. 

 Golours—DoTsal sometimes with a dark mark on its summit : the pectoral darker than the remainder of the 

 fins, and sometimes nearly black in its last third. 



Habitat.— Ued Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. The specimen figured (life-size) 

 came on board one of the P. and 0. steamers in the Red Sea. 



