222 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON A NATURAL HISTORY 



condition as evidenced by its body being distended with well 

 developed ova. I propose to associate with this Cambridge Gulf 

 species the title of Polvnemus Verekeri, in recognition of my 

 indebtedness to Captain Verker for the facilities afforded me for 

 collecting the materials catalogued in this present paper. A 

 technical diagnosis, together with a diagrammatic outline illustra- 

 ting the most salient features of this species, are appended to this- 

 communication. 



The second species of fish to which I have to direct attention 

 J s also remarkable for its East Indian affinities. It is a repre- 

 sentative of the family Scopelidse, and closely allied to the 

 valuable commercial form commonly known in the East Indian 

 and Chinese markets as the k< Buramaloh,'' or " Bombay Duck." 

 One of its most familiar uses in a gastronomic sense is that of a 

 condiment to curries. The technical name of the Indian species- 

 is Harpodon nehereus, and so far as I am aware, or have been 

 able to ascertain, no second representative of the same genus has 

 been hitherto described. The species now introduced — and 

 which I propose to name Harpodon translucpn* — is a fish of small 

 size not exceeding tour or five inches in length, and in life is 

 remarkably transparent. One of its most characteristic features 

 however, is the abnormal development of the teeth of the lower 

 jaw ; several of these at the symphysis lay entirely outside the 

 oral cavity, and to the unassisted eye, 'present the aspect of 

 curved projecting bristles. Examined wiih a lens, these projec- 

 ting teeth are found to be minutely barbed like a fish-hook, and 

 thus correspond in character with those occupying the norma! 

 position 'in the more familiar Indian typf>. In company with the- 

 Polynrrntts last described, this species of H'ir/>o(/on was captured 

 in Cambridge Gulf in some quantity, with the aid of a prawn 

 trawl fastened overboard in the tideway, while the " Myrmidon" 

 was at anchor. On being haued on deck, the little fish clung so* 

 tenaciously to the meshes of the net with their finely barbed 

 teeth, that it was difficult to detach them without injury. The 

 technical diagnosis and an illustration of this species is associated 

 with those of I'olijnemus Verekeri. 



