FAMILY, XXVII- GOBHDJS. 307 



yellowish outer edge. Anal yellowish. Caudal light iu its lower third, whilst superiorly it is dotted or covered 

 with white spots surrounded by a black ring. 



This fish differs from B. viridis in having a wider first dorsal fin, a higher second dorsal, in its dentition 

 and colours, &c. 



Habitat. — Andamans, where the specimen figured (life-size) was obtained : it, along with Periophthalmus 

 Kpelr&uteri and other allied forms, frequents in hundreds the large mud flats, but it is most difficult to capture any 

 as they dive down instantaneously into the semifluid mud on the slightest sign of danger. It is said that crows 

 and birds of prey never trouble themselves to pursue them, as catching is an almost hopeless task. 



5. Boleophthalmus viridis, Plate LXVI, fig. 5. 



Gobius viridis, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 42, 366, pi. 32, f. 12. 



Boleophthalmus viridis, Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 213 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 195 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 104. 



Boleophthalmus histophorus, Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 210. 



Boleophthalmus aucupatorms, Richards. Voy. Sulph. Fishes, p. 148, pi. 62, f. 1, 2, and Ich. China, p. 208. 



Scartelaos viridis, Bleeker, Gobioides, 1874, p. 40. 



B. v, D. 5 | 26, P. 21, V. 1/5, A. 26, C. 15. 



Length of head 5i, of caudal 4§, height of body 10 in the total length. Eyes — very protuljerant, 

 close together, diameter 1/6 of length of head, and 1J diameters from end of snout. Greatest width of head 

 equals its height, or 1/2 its length. Profile from eye to snout rounded. The maxilla reaches to below the 

 hind edge of the eye. A few short tentacles along the lower edge of each ramus of the lower jaw, and a larger 

 one under the symphysis. Teeth — 14 large, pointed, canine-like ones in front of the upper jaw, the outer of 

 which is the largest but not recurved, laterally there are some small pointed ones. About 30 sub-horizontal and 

 pointed teeth in the lower jaw, the outermost of which is the longest. A pair of posterior canines above the 

 symphysis. Fins — first dorsal from two to three times as high as the body, and with a very narrow base : 

 second dorsal low, its height equalling 3-g- in the length of the head, whilst posteriorly it has a membraneous 

 connection between its last ray and the base of the caudal. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout. 

 Ventrals connected together for almost their entire length. Caudal lanceolate. Scales — microscojiic. Colours — 

 greenish, becoming white beneath. Some black spots rather widely separated upon the head, body, and dorsal 

 fins : caudal with its upper two-thirds having dark angular bands, its lower third white. In two specimens in 

 the British Museum there are some narrow, vertical, dai'k bands on the sides. 



Habitat. — Estuaries and coasts of Bengal to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. Specimen figured (life- 

 size) is from Akyab. 



6. Boleophthalmus Boddaerti, Plate LXV, fig. 2. 



Gobius Boddaerti, Pall. Spicil. viii, p. 11, pi. 2, f. 4, 5 ; Gmel. Linn, i, p. 1201 ; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 233. 



Eleotris Boddaerti, Bl. Schn. p. 66. 



Gobius striatus, Bl. Sch. p. 71, t. 16 (fern.). 



Gobius Russell, i, p. 42, and Nettee hunla mottah, pi. 54. 



Gobius plinianus, Ham. Buch. pp. 45, 366, pi. 35, f . 13. 



Boleophthalmus Boddaerti, Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 199 ; Bleeker, Blenn. en Gob. pp. 5, 40, and Gobioides, 

 1874, p. 40 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 192 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 144 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 102 ; Kner, 

 Xovara Fische, p. 182. 



Boleophthalmus plinianus, Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 205. 



Apocryptes punctatus, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 941. 



B. v, D. 5 | 24-25, P. 17, V 1/5, A. 24, C. 13, L. 1. 70, L. tr. 19-21. 



Length of head 4j to 5, of caudal 5 to 6, height of body 5 to 6 in the total length. Eyes — high up. 

 projecting, diameter from 6 to 7 in the length of head, 1 to 1± diameters from end of snout, and 1/4 of a 

 diameter apart. Greatest width of head about equals its height, or its length excluding the snout. Jaws of 

 about equal length, the maxilla reaches to below the hind edge of the eye. Barbels — absent. Teeth — the six 

 central ones in the premaxillaries are canines pointing downwards, there are about 30 more pointed ones, but of 

 much smaller size laterally. In the lower jaw the teeth are horizontal, about 30 on either ramus, truncated at 

 their summits, whilst some have a slight lobe on either side : above the symphysis are a pah - of posterior canines. 

 Inferior pharyngeal bones spoon-shaped, approximating along the inner side, where a fine row of teeth exists 

 merely at the opposed edges. Scales — cycloid, scarcely, if at all, imbricate on the head although extended all 

 over it, on each scale on the head and anterior portion of the body is a rough elevation, sometimes pitted in the 

 centre, and as the fish becomes older it appears as if in place of scales its anterior portion were covered instead 

 with small rough elevations. 19 to 21 rows of scales between the front margins of dorsal and anal fins, and eight 

 between their posterior margins. Air-vessel — present, but small. Colours — greenish blue, with seven or eight 

 vertical black bands : body covered with opaque blue spots : first dorsal likewise blue-spotted, and three rows on 

 the second, with four large series along its base. Pectoral orange, with a black edge : or dark, with an orange 

 margin : anal and caudal blackish : ventrals purplish. In some specimens I find a few large white spots along 

 the bases of either dorsal fin, whilst the whole of the first dorsal is densely dotted with round blue spots, and 

 there are four rows of blue ones along the second dorsal as seen in B. pectinirostris. It climbs up rocks and 



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