| OCR Text |
Show 560 MR. F. DAY ON INDIAN FISHES. [May 9, slightly backwards ; angle rounded; horizontal limb entire. Gill-opening cleft to beneath the anterior margin of the orbit. Fins. Pectoral commences opposite to the summit of the suboperculum ; ventral under the lower insertion of the root of the pectoral; first dorsal over the posterior third of the pectoral, and terminating close to the second dorsal. Anal, which has no free spines anterior to it, commences under about the thirteenth dorsal ray. Dorsal spines low, not strong, membrane deeply emarginate; spine of second dorsal weak, the anterior portion of the fin the highest, its posterior two-thirds being low and parallel to the back, divided by a short interspace from two free rays, which are placed close together, the last being elongated and reaching the root of the caudal. Pectoral longest superiorly. Ventral pointed, and without any groove along its base. Form of anal and the free rays posterior to it of the same character as the dorsal. Caudal deeply lobed in its posterior three-fourths. Scales over body, upper surface of opercles, and cheeks; a slight groove along the second dorsal and anal fins. Lateral line passes straight to opposite the commencement of the second dorsal, then slightly descends, and from opposite the origin of the anal proceeds direct to the centre of the caudal, on which it is continued without any elevation to its end. Colours. Back deep slate-colour ; abdomen white. A deep-blue line runs from the eye to the posterior margin of the dorsal fin above the tail, a second from the inferior margin of the orbit to the centre of the caudal fin. Between these lines the colour is of a dull yellow; below the inferior blue line at first yellowish, then gradually shaded from bluish to white. Caudal yellowish green. Anal yellowish. Pectoral slate-coloured, tipped with yellow. Dorsal darkish. Eyes golden. Lips blue. Two specimens were captured in March 1867, both of which differed from the S. bipinnulatus, more especially in having one ray less in the dorsal fin, in there being no free spines before the anal, and in the praeoperculum being entire. Hab. Madras, where it is said to attain 2 feet in length. COSSYPHUS NEILLI, sp. nov. B.vi. D. 12/10. P. 16. V. 1/5. A. 3/12. C. 14. L. 1. 34. L. tr. 5/12. Length of specimens 7y*% inches. Length of head f, of pectoral ^ of base of hard dorsal a little above \, of base of soft dorsal g, of base of anal i, of caudal A of the total length. Height of head £, of body f-, of hard dorsal -A-, of soft dorsal T T, of ventral, including prolonged rays, 1 of anal spines ^, of anal rays ^ of the total length. Eyes. Upper margin not far from the profile. Diameter f of length of head, 1 diameter apart, li diameter from end of snout. Body rather elongated ; snout produced ; the dorsal profile slightly more convex than that of the abdomen. |
