1 84 9 .] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1 08 1 



surface. Each scale is marked by a fine central line, horizontal in , 

 most, but pointing obliquely downwards on the scales immediately 

 beneath the root of the pectoral fins. 



The stomach is composed of two portions : the cardiac into which_< 

 the short capacious oesophagus opens, terminates in an elongated 

 cylindrical fundus ; the pyloric portion is shorter, globular like a large 

 button, and very thick, gizzard-like. The cavity is very small and 

 presents a few coarse longitudinal folds. In several examined, it con- 

 tained some mud, mixed with green mucus. Pylorus is surrounded by 

 five short but capacious ccecopyloric appendages. The intestinal canal, 

 about 7 times the length of the fish, is folded several times upon 

 itself and firmly enveloped in fat. The gall is rather large, ovoid with 

 a short duct opening close to Pylorus. The liver is moderate, resting 

 across the stomach, with several lobes, of which the longest is attached 

 to Duodenum. The spleen is small, elongated, completely hidden by 

 the fat between the folds of the intestines. The abdominal surface of 

 Peritoneum is black, the opposite silvery. The air-vessel is large, 

 elongated, its parietes very thin, pearl -coloured. At Pinang this 

 species occurs, though not numerously, at all seasons, and when newly 

 taken it is highly valued for its excellent flavour. 



The present is the fish supposed by Russell to be Mugil cephalus, 

 Linne, (Vol. II. p. 64.) The figure, (CLXXX. Bontah,) among other 

 inaccuracies represents the mouth without teeth, and the anal fin with 

 a single, too long spine. The latter, as well as the margins of the 

 scales being entire, (as they in reality appear to the naked eye,) 

 induced Buchanan Hamilton to consider the individuals which he 

 obtained from the estuaries of the Ganges, to be a distinct species, 

 and also he overlooked the minute teeth in the lips. M. M. Cuvier 

 and Valenciennes (T. XI.) unite both under the denomination of M. 

 cephalotus. They doubt, however, without reason, the correctness of 

 Russell's omitting to figure, and Buchanan to mention, any elongated 

 triangular scale above the pectoral fins, and they believe that the fish 

 is identical with Mugil our, Forskal, (Consp. p. XIV. No. 109, Var. 

 and characterised : " Labio utroque ciliato, inferiori unicarinato, oculis 

 pinguedine fere obtectis, operculo macula p. p. oblonga obliqua.") Dr. 

 Riippell, (Neue Wirbelth, &c. Fische, p. 131,) observes that if Rus* 

 sell's description of " Bontah" as being " without teeth" is correct, the 



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