22 



TELEOSTEr. ACA.NTIIOPT5TERYGII. 



with or without, vertical bands and black spots ; edges of the fins 

 stained with grey, and a grey band along the middle of the dorsal. 

 Hob. Bed Sea, east coast of Africa, seas of India to Australia ; 

 attaining at least 15 inches in length, and in most places esteemsd 

 as food. 



Second group. TOXOTINA. 



9. Genus TOXOTES, Cuv. 



Branchiostegals seven; pseudobranchiae. Body oblong, com- 

 pressed. Snout rather produced ; lower jaw the longer. Villiform 

 teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. A single dorsal fin, 

 having 4 or 5 strong spines, situated in the posterior half of the 

 back ; anal with 3 spines. Scales cvcloid, of moderate or rather 

 small size. Air-bladder simple. Pyloric appendages in moderate 

 numbers. 



It is stated in some works that these wide-mouthed fishes shoot 

 insects with a drop of water in Batavia. Bleeker observed that he 

 never witnessed this, and the action is one which the mouths of 

 these fishes appear incapable of effecting (see p. 12, ante). 



Geographical Distribution. Seas and estuaries of India, the Malay 

 Archipelago and Polynesia. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 

 L. 1. 42. Two to four rows of large black patches 



or irregular stripes along sides ]. T, microlepis, p. 22. 



L. 1. 31. Hve or six oblong black patches on 



upper half of head and side 2. T. chatareus, p. 23. 



L. 1. 27. Four triangular blotches descend from 



the back to the lateral line 3. T.jactilator, p. 23. 



753. (1.) Toxotes microlepis. (Fig. 9.) 



Fig. 0. Tuxotcs 



Toxotes microlepis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxix, 1800, p. 142: Day 



Fish. India, p. 117, pi. xxx, fig. 1 (see syuon.). 

 Nya-kya-ma, Burmese. 



