FAMILY, II— SQUAMIPINNES. 117 



fin having four or five strong spines situated in the posterior half of the bach : anal with three spines. Scales 

 cycloid, of moderate or rather small size, some are extended to over the soft portions of the vertical fins. Air-vessel 

 simple. Pyloric appendages in moderate numbers. 



Geographical distribution. — Seas and estuaries of India, to the Malay Archipelago and Polynesia. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Toxotes microlepis, D. -f^, A. T 3 T , L. 1. 42. Two to four rows of large Hack patches or stripes 

 along the sides, most being above the lateral-line. Estuaries and large rivers of Burma and Siam near their 

 mouths. 



2. Toxotes chatareus, D. ' ^ 5 , A. ts^ty, L. 1. 31. Five or six oblong black patches along the upper half 

 of the head and back. Estuaries and rivers of India, Bengal and Burma to the Malay Archipelago. 



3. Toxotes jacidator, D. t^tyj A. Tg-5-pf, L. 1. 27. Four triangular blotches descend from the back to the 

 lateral-line. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Toxotes microlepis, Plate XXX, fig. 1. 



Blyth, Jour. As. Soc. of Bengal, 1860, p. 142 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 68. 

 Nya-kya-ma, Burmese. 



B. vii, D. -a-, P. 12, V. 1/5, A. ^ C. 19, L. 1. 42, L. r. ff, L. tr. 6/14, Csbc. pyl. 8. 



Length of head 3/10 to 2/7, of caudal 2/11 to 1/6, height of body 2/5 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 1/3 to 2/7 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and lj apart. Body compressed, dorsal profile 

 horizontal and flat. The maxilla reaches to below the centre of the orbit. Preopercle and preorbital with their 

 lower edges finely serrated. Teeth — villifonn in the jaws, vomer, and palate. Fins — the dorsal commences 

 slightly in advance of the anal, but is in the last third of the length of the body, its posterior three spines the 

 longest, as is also the third of the anal. Colours — golden, with two to four large black oblong blotches or stripes 

 along the sides, most being above the lateral -line : dorsal blotched with black and having dark edges : anal 

 dark : caudal yellow. 



Habitat. — Burma and Siam. The specimen figured is from the Irrawaddi, and 4-j inches in length. 



2. Toxotes chatareus, Plate XXIX, fig. 6. 



Coins chatareus* Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 101, 370, pi. xiv, fig. 34. 



Toxotes jaculator, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 314 (part) ; Cantor, Catal. p. 176 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 67 

 (part). 



Nga-prong-gryn, Kodryn and Panlong-gryn, Arrac. 



B. vii, D. ( t^ 5 , P. 13, V. 1/5, A. -n^, C. 17, L. 1. 31, L. tr. 4-5/11-10. 



Length of head 3J to 3|, of caudal 5| to 1/6, height of body 2/5 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 3J 

 to 1/4 of length of head, 1 to lj diameters from end of snont, and 1J apart. The maxilla reaches to below the 

 middle of the orbit. Preorbital and preopercle serrated along their lower edges. Teeth — villiform in the jaws, 

 vomer, and palate. Fins — dorsal spines strong, the fourth somewhat the longest and equal to the length of the 

 head behind the middle or front margin of the eyes. In the specimen with only four dorsal spines, the third 

 equals the fourth as described. Anal commences slightly behind, the dorsal, the third spine a little the longest 

 and equal to 2/5 the length of the head. Pectoral as long as the head without the snout. Caudal cut nearly 

 square. Scales — from 26 to 28 rows between the snout and the base of the dorsal fin : 6 rows between the 

 lateral-line and the base of the last dorsal spine. Colours — silvery shot with gold, dorsal profile greenish-brown, 

 six or seven oblong spots between the eye and the end of the base of the dorsal fin. Some black blotches on the 

 soft dorsal : anal with its lower edge black. In the young the blotches are larger and darker, the ventral is 

 black, and there is a black band along the base of the caudal. 



Habitat. — Rivers and estuaries of India, Burma, and the Malay Archipelago. My largest specimen is 

 8 inches in length, but it attains upwards of a foot. The specimen figured is 6 inches long and from the 

 Irrawaddi. 



3. Toxotes jaculator. 



Scicena jaculatrix, Pallas, spic. viii, p. 41. 



Scarus Schlosseri, Gm. Linn. p. 1282 ; Lacep. iv, pp. 5, 17 ; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 398. 

 Labrus jaculatrix, Lacep. iii, pp. 425, 464 ; Shaw, 1. c. p. 485, pi. 68. 



Toxotes jaculator, Cuv. Reg. Anim. ii, p. 196 ; Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 314, pi. 192 (pt.) ; Swainson, ii, p. 214 ; 

 Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiii, Chsetod. p. 31 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 67 (part). 

 B. vii, D. tjAjt, p. 15, V. 1/5, A. tjSjt, C. 17, L. 1. 27, L. tr. 4-5/10-9. 

 Length of head 1/3, of caudal 1/6, height of body 1/3 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 3J to 1/4 of 



* I have to thank Dr. Bleeker for directing my attention to the difference between T. chatareus and T. jaculator. All my 

 fresh water and estuary specimens have five dorsal spines, except one individual having four, and tkej=cliatareus : my marine forms 

 have only four and= jaculator. Valenciennes remarks on the difference seen in the spines and rays, but considers the fish varieties of 

 one species. 



