1334 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Dec. 



M. geographicus. The length of the head from the muzzle to a little 

 behind the orbit, is contained 3^ times in the total. The posterior 

 margin of the orbit is situated nearly in the middle between the dorsal 

 spine and the gill-opening the horizontal diameter of the eye is J of the 

 length of the head ; the horizontal diameter between both exceeds the 

 diameter by ^. The nostrils, lips, teeth and tongue resemble those organs 

 of Batistes conspicillum. The upper branchiostegous ray is the longest, 

 and closely attached to the second, which at its root appears to be 

 double ; the fourth is setaceous like the preceding, but a little removed 

 from them ; the fifth is broader than the rest, but less so than it is in 

 M. geographicus. The dorsal spine is proportionally longer in young 

 individuals ; it is tetragonal, slightly arched backwards, and is armed 

 with strong thorns on the four margins and it carries numerous long 

 filaments like those of the body. It can but slightly be reclined ; its 

 length is less than \ of its distance from the muzzle j its membrane 

 descends from the middle of the posterior surface, and extends to a 

 little in front of the middle of the distance between the two dorsals. 

 There appears to be no second spine. The interval between the dorsal 

 spine and the first ray forms three slight undulations, and slightly 

 exceeds the length of the spine. The length of the rays of the poste- 

 rior dorsal differs but slightly ; those in the middle, the longest, are § 

 of the spine. The extent of the base equals the distance from the 

 muzzle to the dorsal spine. The anal commences opposite the 4th or 5th 

 ray of the posterior dorsal, but it terminates opposite the latter. The 

 distance of both from the caudal is J of the extent of the posterior 

 dorsal. The caudal is nearly rhomboidal ; the length of the central 

 rays is £ of the total. The pectorals are rounded, their length equals 

 that of the longest rays of the posterior dorsal. The pelvic spine is 

 very strong, less protractile than that of M. geographicus, but the 

 jointed apex is more projecting ; the dewlap is small, triangular, the 

 anterior margin and the base equal the length of the caudal ; the posterior 

 margin is J less. When the dewlap is protracted, the vertical diameter 

 between the root of the dorsal spine and apex of the pelvic is contained 

 If times in the total length ; at the second dorsal it is 2\. The body is 

 very rough, covered with short strong spines, generally terminating in 

 two, but frequently in more points, of which the posterior is longer than 

 the rest and directed obliquely backwards. The spines of the body are 



