1080 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Oct. 



equals the length of the head minus the diameter of the eye. The 

 anterior dorsal spine equals the distance from the muzzle to the poste- 

 rior margin of the orbit, or about \ of the last mentioned vertical 

 diameter. The anterior dorsal fin commences in the centre of the 

 distance between the muzzle and the root of the caudal. The extent 

 of the base equals the length of the anterior spine ; from its centre 

 commences an elongated, triangular scale, projecting midway behind 

 the very slender fourth spine, the length of which is \ of the preceding 

 three. The distance between the anterior and posterior dorsals equals 

 -f of the length of the head, the latter fin commencing opposite the 

 centre of the anal, much nearer the caudal than the anterior dorsal. 

 The anterior ray equals \ the length of the head. The distance 

 between the posterior ray and the root of the caudal equals the length 

 of the anterior dorsal spine. The posterior margin of the caudal fin 

 is but slightly furcated, the inferior lobe is a little larger than the 

 upper. The anal fin commences about halfway between the termi- 

 nation of the ventrals and the root of the caudal fin. Its height 

 equals, its extent slightly exceeds the second dorsal. The two anterior 

 spines are so completely covered by scales, that they escaped the 

 observation of Russell, whose figure (CLXXX.) represents the third 

 much too long : it exceeds but slightly \ of the anterior ray. The 

 length of the pectoral fin is 1\ in the total, or nearly equal that of 

 the caudal. Above the root of the pectoral appears no trace of an 

 elongated triangular scale, as in some other species, but in the axilla, 

 hidden by the fin, are two elongated oval scales, much smaller than the 

 rest. The ventral fins are a little shorter than the pectorals; the 

 spine is strong and but slightly shorter than the anterior dorsal. At 

 the base of each fin appears an elongated triangular scale, and a 

 similar, but shorter and broader between the two fins ; the anterior 

 half of the fifth ray is attached to the abdomen by a membrane. A 

 straight line between the gill-opening and the root of the caudal fin 

 contains from 33 to 35 scales, an oblique series in front of the anterior 

 dorsal 11 or 12. The scales are very large, nearly as broad as long; 

 the anterior margin is straight, but with from 2 to 6 crenulations, pro- 

 duced by a number of radiating lines, varying in number from 3 to 7. 

 The posterior margin is rounded and with excessively minute points, 

 the termination of a very fine concentric net-work on the exposed 



