FAMILY, VI— CLUPEID^. 629 



yellowish, the others uncoloured. ffiZZ-m^ers— lanceolate, rather widely set, and the largest are about as long 

 as the eye. 



Eahitat. —-Sea,a and estuaries of Sind, both sides of India, also the Malay Archipelago. It attains at 

 least 12 inches in length. 



12. Engraulis Commeraonianus, Plate CLVIII, fig. 1. 



Stolephorus Gommersonianm, Lacepede, Poissons, v, p. 382, t. xii, f. 1 : Bleeker, Atl. Ich. vi, p. 128. 

 t. 259,f. 1. 



Clwpea vittargentea, Lacepede, Poissons, v, p. 458. 



Atherina Commersom'cma, Shaw, Zool. i, t. 113, f. 1 (from Lacepede). 



Atherma Australis, White, Voy. N. S. Wales, p. 296. 



Engraulis Commersonii, Cuvier, Reg. Anim. : Bleeker, Java, p. 11. 



EngrauUs Brownii, Cnv. and Val. xxi, p. 41 (part) ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 74, and Haring. p. 39 ; Kner, 

 Novara Fische, p. 332. 



Stolephorus Brownii, Bleeker, Amboina, p. 291. 



Engraulis Gommersonianus, Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 388. 



B. xi-xiii, D. 14-16(t^?tt), p. 15-16, V. 7, A. 19-21(tt?t^), C. 19, L. 1. 38-40, L. tr. 8-9, C£ec. pyl. 16. 



Length of head 6 to 5 J, of candal 5 J to 5|, height of body 5i to 5f in the total length. i?2/es— sub- 

 cutaneous, 3| diameters in the length of the head, 1/2 to 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, ?.nd nearly 1 

 apart. Snout pointed, projecting considerably beyond, and overhanging the mouth. The maxilla moderately 

 dilated opposite the mandibular joint and continued to the gill-opening. Height of the head 1/4 less than its 

 length. Teeth — fine ones in the jaws, vomer, and palate. Fins— dorsal commences nearer the base of the caudal 

 than to the front end of the snout, and posterior to the insertion of the ventral : the anal commences below the 

 middle of the dorsal. Scales — very deciduous. Pseudobranchise well-developed. Colours — silvery, greenish 

 above, opercles shining silvery shot with gold. A large black spot, sometimes indistinct, just behind the 

 occiput. A broad silvery band passes from the centre of the posterior margin of the opercle to the centre of 

 the caudal, becoming widest posteriorly. Abdomen light buff-colour. Fins yellowish, vrith minute black dots. 

 Eyes silvery, orbital margin dark. Caudal shot with bluish. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. It attains to about 8 inches in length, and is much 

 esteemed for eating. It is known as whitebait amongst Europeans, and is captured in India in. great numbers. 

 In the Straits Cantor states that large quantities of them are preserved for exportation to China and India, as 

 well as for home consumption, forming a delicious condiment known under the designation of " Bed-fish." The 

 following is the mode of preparation : — " After the heads have been removed, the fishes, (those of middling size 

 are preferred) are cleansed, salted (in the proportion of one to eight parts of fish) and deposited in flat glazed 

 earthen vessels. In the latter they are for three days submitted to pressure, by means of stones placed on thin 

 boards or dried plantain leaves. The fishes are next freed from salt, and saturated with vinegar and cocoa-palm 

 toddy, after which are added powdered ginger and black pepper (the latter mostly entire), and some brandy 

 and powdered " red rice." After having been kept for three days, a little more vinegar is added before placing 

 the fishes in well closed jars or bottles. They should be kept four or five months before being used." — Cantor, 

 p. 305. "Bed rice is a variety of Oryza sativa called glutinosa, steeped in an infusion of cochineal." 



13. Engraulis Indicus, Plate CLVIII, fig. 3. 



CVwpea atherinoides, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 71, and Nattoo, pi. 187 (not Linn.) 



Engraulis Indians, v. Hasselt, Algem. Konst.-Letterb. 1823, p. 329. 



EngrauUs albus, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 293 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 145. 



Engraulis Brownii, Cantor, Catal. p. 303 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 237 ; Giinther, Fish. Zanz. p. 123. 



Engraulis Balinensis, Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. xxii, Bali, p. 11. 



Engraulis Bussellii, Bleeker, Beng. p. 74, and Haring. p. 38 ; Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 390. 



Stolephorus Bussellii, Bleeker, Ternate, p. 236. 



Stolephorm Ind.icus, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. vi, p, 127, t. 259, f. 2. 



Nattoo, Tel. : Nettellee, Tam. : Zoo-roo-cart-dah, Andam. 



B. xi-xiii, D. 15-16(^^1^3), P. 15, V. 7, A. 19(tV), C. 19, L. 1. 40, L. tr. 8-9. 



Length of head 4f to 5, of caudal 5f to 6, height of body 6 to 6^ in the total length. .Eyes— sub- 

 cutaneous, diameter 3^ in the length of the head, 2/3 to 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. 

 Body moderately compressed, the dorsal and abdominal profiles, equally and slightly convex. The greatest height 

 of the head equals its length excluding the snout. Snout pointed and projecting considerably beyond the jaws. 

 Maxilla enlarged and truncated opposite the mandibular joint. Teeth— small in the jaws, tongue, a,nd palate. 

 Fins — dorsal commences nearer the base of the caudal fin than to the end of the snout, its first half in advance 

 of the origin of the anal. Scales— Yerj deciduous ; 4 scutes before the base of the ventral fin. Pseudobranchise 

 present. Gill-rakers closely set, not so long as the eye. CoZows- silvery, dashed with green along the back, 

 and sometimes some dark spots behind the occiput. A brilliant silvery band passes from opposite the upper 

 edgQ of the eye to the middle of the caudal fin. 



Habitat.— Se&a of India to the Malay Archipelago. It ascends tidal rivers. 



