308 ACANTIIOPTERYGII. 



pieces of ■wood, when it resides in shallow estuaries. If kept damp it lives some time out of water, and is 

 brought in considerable numbers to Bombay markets, in baskets covered with wet cloths. 



Habitat. — Coasts and estuaries of India and Burma to the Malay Archipelago. I have not taken it Wesl 

 of Bombay, it being replaced in Sind by B. tenuis, Bussumieri, and deniatus. Burmese specimens have usually 

 a black edge to the pectoral tin. 



7. Boleophthalmus sculptus. 

 Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 104. 

 B. v, D. 5 | 25, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. 24, C. 15. 



Length of head 4g, of caudal 5^, height of body 6 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 4| in length of 

 head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and close together. Greatest width of the head equals its length behind 

 the eyes, whilst its height is a little less. The maxilla reaches to below the last third of the eye. Teeth — 

 six large, vertical, pointed teeth in front of premaxillaries, laterally a row of fine pointed ones : those in the 

 lower jaw truncated at their summits, some having a slight lobe on either side ; a pair of posterior canines above 

 the symphysis. Fins — third dorsal spine with a filamentous prolongation. Pectoral rather short. Caudal 

 truncated. Scales — cycloid, those on the head and anterior portion of the body rudimentary, with flat, 

 rounded tubercles, having a depression in their centres. In the last portion of the body they become more 

 distinct, there are about 12 rows between the anterior portion of the bases of the second dorsal and anal fins. 

 Colours — "greenish-olive, yellowish on the belly: six rather distinct darker bands descend obliquely from the 

 back towards the belly : the anterior dorsal grayish, the other fins reddish." Giinther, I. c. 



Habitat. — India, from whence one specimen was brought by General Hardwicke. 



8. Boleophthalmus pectinirostris. 



Gobius pectinirostris, Gmel. Linn, i, p. 200; Bl. Schn. p. 70; Lacep. ii, p. 542; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 245. 

 Apocryptes pectinirostris, Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 150. 



Boleophthalmus pectinirostris, Rich. Ich. China, p. 208 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 193 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 103. 

 Boleophthalmus Boddaertii, Rich. 1. c. ; Temm. and Schleg. Fauna Japon. Poissons, p. 148, pi. 76, f. 3. 

 Boleophthalmus inornatus, Blyth, J. A. S. of B. I860, p. 148. 



B. v, D. 5 | 23-24, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. 23-24, C. 14, Vert. 11-14. 



Length of head 4|, of caudal 5, height of body 6 in the total length. Eyes — approximating, diameter 

 1/4 to 1/5 of length of head, 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout. The greatest width of the head 

 equals a little above 1/2 its length, and its height equals its length without the snout. The maxilla extends to 

 below the hind edge of the orbit. Teeth — three large, pointed, and vertically placed teeth on either side of the 

 centre of the upper jaw, and about 40 small conical ones laterally : teeth in lower jaw horizontal, about 36 or 

 40 truncated and notched ones along either ramus, also a pair of posterior canines. Fins — spines of first dorsal 

 filamentous and extending some distance beyond the membrane, their height being nearly twice that of the 

 body : last dorsal rays 3/4 height of body. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout : ventrals reach 

 half way to the anal, and are united in their entire extent. Caudal pointed. Scales — cycloid, anteriorly 

 rudimentary, those in the posterior portion of the body are more developed, but in irregular rows, there being 

 about 17 between the posterior extremities of the second dorsal and anal fins. Colours — the body with small, 

 dark tubercles, and verdigris spots. Vertically placed blue spots on the first dorsal fin, and six or 

 seven transverse ones on the second, where they sometimes form bands : some also on the caudal : the other 

 fins brownish. 



There are seven specimens up to 3 inches in length in the Calcutta Museum, received from the Tenasserim 

 Provinces, where they were collected by the late Major Berdmore, and are the type of Blyth's B. inoratus. It . i 

 seems to be a more Westerly form than most of the Indian species of this genus. /\ 



Habitat. — Coast of Burma to the Malay Archijjelago and beyond. 



Genus, 8 — Bosteichthys,* {Lacep.) C. jDumeril. 



Bostrychus, Lacep. ; Philypmus, Val. ; Bostrictis and Ictiopogon, Raf . ; Philypnodun, Bleeker ; Bostrichthys, 

 C. Dum. ; Lembus, Giinther. 



Branchiostegals four to six : pseudobranchire. Gill-opening of moderate width. Body moderately elongated, 

 sub- cylindrical anteriorly : head somewhat depressed. Eyes lateral, of moderate size, not prominent. Teeth in the jaws 

 in many rows without canines, present on the vomer, present or absent on palate and tongue. Two dorsal fins, the 

 anterior with 6 or 7 spines, the second and the anal of about the same length (10-13). Base of pectoral sliqhtly 

 muscular: ventrals placed close together but not ■united. Scales of moderate or small size, cycloid, or ctenoid, 

 head scaled or scaleless. 



* The Philypni, Bleeker, which possess vomerine teeth, consist of : — 



1. PMlypnodon, Bleeker. Teeth on palatines and tongue. Scales ctenoid. Head scaleless. 



2. Bostrichthys, C. Dum. Palatines and tongue edentulous. Scales cycloid. Head scaled. 



3. Thilypnus, Val. Palatines and tongue edentulous. Scales ctenoid. Head scaled. 



