1362 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Dec. 



back, and terminates at the root of the caudal. The soft abdominal 

 keel commences from the throat and proceeds straight along the upper 

 margin of the spiny portion of the abdomen to the lower part of the 

 root of the caudal. The dorsal is situated a little behind the commence- 

 ment of the posterior third of the back ; the two first rays are undivided ; 

 the second, the longest of all, is ^ the length of the head ; the posterior 

 margin of the fin is nearly vertical ; the extent of the base is \ of the 

 length of the second ray ; the distance from the caudal is contained 4^ 

 times in the total length. The first and only undivided anal ray is placed 

 opposite the posterior half of the dorsal, which it resembles, but the extent 

 is a little less ; the distance from the caudal is contained \\ times in the 

 total length. The upper and lower caudal margins are arched, but the 

 former is a little longer than the latter ; the third, or first divided, ray from 

 above is the longest, J of the length of the head ; the posterior margin 

 is concave or crescent-shaped. The pectorals are broad, their posterior 

 margin obliquely truncated ; the second upper ray is the longest, \ of the 

 length of the head. The spines are short, strong, crowded and deeply 

 imbedded in the integuments. Above they commence from the space 

 between the nostrils and terminate a little in front of the dorsal ; laterally 

 they extend but very little below the lateral line ; on the abdomen they 

 commence from a little behind the throat, are bounded above by the soft 

 keel, and terminate with the anterior half of the body. In the figure of 

 M. M. Temminck and Schlegel in Fauna Japonica the spines are repre- 

 sented more distant than they are in the individuals of the Malayan Seas 

 and of the Bay of Bengal, and they appear above to commence from the 

 occiput. In both the latter localities the species is at all seasons very 

 numerous. 



Tetrodon oblongus, Bloch. 



Tetrodon oblongus, Bloch, Tab. 146. 



Tetrodon oblongus, Shaw, V. 446. 



Tetrodon oblongus, Cuv. R. A. Ed. I. 148 ('). 



Physogaster oblongus, Miiller, I. c. 



Young. Head above dark brownish olive with numerous rounded 

 brownish white spots ; back and upper third of the sides brownish 

 white, minutely dotted with reddish brown, and with upwards of 1 1 

 short dark brownish vertical bands, confluent on the back, and not 



