FLYING FISH IN MEBWAY AND SWALE. 405 



spotting along each oblique series of scales, most clearly dis- 

 tinguishable where epidermis intact. 



The elongate shape of body — a mixture of Pike or Garfish 

 type — contrasts with the Pilchard form of the head. The top 

 of the latter or interorbital space is depressed or slightly concave. 

 The big eyes themselves are only moderately prominent though 

 staring ; the pupil large, deep blue, approaching black, the irides 

 lustrous. The opening of post-nostril, which is covered by a 

 flap, is a trifle nearer eye than snout ; the latter is obtuse and 

 shorter than the more pouting inferior maxillae. No barbel 

 present, but instead a fringe of very short, slender papillae is 

 evident, by hand-lens, on the projecting under lip. Teeth in 

 both jaws very diminutive. 



Fin formula :— D. 12, P. 16, V. 6, A. 9, C. if?. 



Mr. Eegan and myself had doubts respecting enumeration of 

 the scales on the lateral line, some of which had got rubbed out 

 of place.* There seemed about fifty-eight ?, and some thirty- 

 eight or so between the occiput and the dorsal fin. Between the 

 origin of the latter and the lateral line to all appearance were 

 eight ? rows of scales. 



Measurements : — Length from the tip of the jaw to the root 

 of the tail (i.e., to last caudal vertebra) = 12 in. The lobes of 

 the tail were both defective at their extremities. The upper 

 supposed to be 2 in. and the lower one 3 in. long when intact. 

 This would give approximately an extreme length to the fish of 

 15 in., as already suggested. Depth of the body l^§in., and its 

 girth behind the pectorals equivalent to, say, 4| in. Length of 

 head 2j 5 2 (or 2£) in. ; the diameter of the eye about ^f ths of an 

 inch. 



As to the fins generally, their relative positions, &c. : — The 

 length of pectoral 8 in., and extending even beyond the last 

 anal ray, nearly to the rudimentary rays of the caudal. When 

 expanded as in the act of flying, from tip to tip, barely 15 in. 

 [Mark, these do not descend to horizontal level.] The first ray 

 simple, the second divided, and third and fourth longest. The 

 dorsal fin situated well behind, its base 2 in. long (the rays 



* Regarding authors' discrepancies of numbers of scales in fish, Dr. 

 Day's remarks thereon (P.Z.S. 1879, pp. 759-60) in the case of the Pilchard 

 may here be appropriate. 



