1889.] A. Alcook— Lw^ of Plom-onectidre? from the Bay of Benijal. 287 



13. SynAPIURA COKNtJTA, (Kaup). 

 Day, Fishes of India, p. 430, pi. xoiy, fig. 4. Aesopia comnta, Kaup, Guuthor, 

 Cat. IV, 487. 



Only ouo specimen was obtained, a female, in 7-8 fathoms. 

 14. CrNOGLOssns carpenteri, n. sp., PI. XVIII, Fig. 1. 



D. circ. lOO. A. ciro. 80. V. 4. C. 10. L. lat. circ. 05. 



This species is one of those which has on the left side two nostrils, 

 one of them interorbital, and three lateral lines. 



Body tapering acuminately backwards from the gill-opening, the 

 ventral profile bulging strongly just behind the head, and the tail long 

 and slender. The height of the body is nearly in the total length, 

 and equal to the length of the head. The snout is an obtuse-angled 

 triangle, and is one-third the length of the head. The rostral hook 

 ends behind the symphysis of the lower jaw. The eyes are prominent, 

 in length one-tenth of the head, separated by a concave space narrower 

 than the eye : the upper is nearly half a length in advance. Two nos- 

 trils on the coloured side, one in front of the inter-orbit, the other in 

 front of the lower eye, and tubular. Mouth large, its angle is a whole 

 eye-length behind the posterior border of the lower (hinder) orbit and 

 equidistant between the tip of the snout and the gill-opening. Lips not 

 fringed. Tongue very large, completely filling the mouth. The gill-cleft 

 IS high. The opercle is conspicuously expanded below and behind, and 

 the branchiostegal rays and membrane extend a considerable distance 

 behind its edge, giving the appearance of a broad fringe. The integu- 

 ment is invested with small strong scales, which on the blind side and 

 anterior half of the coloured aide are cycloid, and on the posterior half 

 of the coloured side sharply ctenoid. Throe lateral lines on the left side, 

 the middle separated from the upper by 17, and from the lower by 22 

 rows of scales at the respective points of greatest divergence : none on 

 the right. Fins : one ventral united with the anal. The vertical fin- 

 rays are delicate ; the longest are nearly equal to the snout in length. 



Colours ill life. Left side uniform bright chestnut-brown; the fins 

 a brighter red-brown ; the caudal in the female specimen black. The 

 whole of the opercle is blue-black, owing apparently to the pigmentation 

 of the gill-membrane, the extension backwards of which beyond the 

 opercle is black. Intestine nearly one-third longer than the body and 

 convoluted, without diverticula. The ovai-y of the female was enlarged 

 and crowded with eggs of an inch in diameter. 



Length of male 6j inches, of the female 6| inches. 



Two specimens were taken in G8 fathoms, 68 m. E. of the mouth of 

 the Devi river in the Mahanaddi delta, on a soft bottom of very fine sand. 

 37 



