m
of divers forms, but chiefly lozenge, and extending into two long, acute, triangular processes, which reach the
first dorsal fin. The mouth horizontal, under the rostrum, rather la rg e ; lips thickish. Jaws extractile, the
under shorter than the upper. The teeth small, numerous, granulous. Tongue short, round, obtuse, smooth,
bridled. Palate smootli. Eyes supreme, large, orbicular, protuberant, iris yellow; the superior edge of the
orbit sharp, and by rising high on each side makes the crown appear deep channeled. Nostrils double, in a
groove before the orbit.
The branchial opercula consist of three squamous laminse, rough, angular: tlie first oblong-triangular,
margin serrated; the margin of the second lengthened into a long, sharp, serrated process; the third small,
ending in a pointed, soft flap, The branchial membrane partly exposed, consisting of six rays, the two lower
very small, the others distinct, distant, and united by what might be called a seventh ossicle. The aperture
lateral, small.
The trunk. The back nearly straight, furrowed, sides convex; abdomen and throat bellied, but sometimes
plane; the tail a little angular, compressed.
The bi-anchim tuberculate on the inner side. Lateral line not visible.
The Jns. Two dorsal: the first of five, soft, declining spines; tlie second of eight simple rays, declining
a little also. The pectoral fins expand into wings as long as the body, the first and last rays shortest, giving
the wing a rounded appearance: the last rays of the wing gradually shorten, as in the figure. Tlie ventral
fins are long, narrow, acuminate; the anal, opposite to the second dorsal, has six assurgent, ramous ray s; the
caudal slightly falcate.
A t the division of the bony processes on the back, there is a single soft ray exceeding an inch in length;
between which and the dorsal fin is an oval-form prickle pointing backwards, and another similar between the
first and second dorsal fin. On each side of tlie tail, at nearly equal distances, between the second dorsal and
caudal fins, are three remarkable semilunate, serrated squamse.
The colour. The head and back of a dark red. with some round spots of dusky-green; the sides of a lighter
red; belly white; dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins, are spotted also with dark green spots ; the ventral and
anal light coloured.
Length, usually eleven inches; but the subject drawn did not exceed seven.
REMARK.
This species of flying fish is not common at Vizagapatam.
O P H IC E P H A L U S .
GENERIC CHARACTER.
Caput depressum, squamis variis. B l o c h . T h e he ad d ep re s sed , w i th scales o f an
u n u su a l an d d iffe r en t sh ape from those
on the b o d y .
No. CLXIU
O p h i c e p h a l u s corpore lanceolato, squamoso, luhrico ; linea lateralis injracta; pinnis pecto-
ralihus caudæque rolundatis.
T h e O p h i c e p h a l u s w i th a lan c e o la te , squ am ou s , lu b r ic o u s , b o d y ; the late ral l in e in fra
c te d ; the pe c tora l and cau d a l fin rou n d ed .
Ophicephalus striatus Bloch. Part %. p. M l. T’a i. 35 9.
C a lled b y th e N a t iv e s M u t t a h .
B . y . D. 4 5 . P. 1 5 . V. 6 . A. 2 6 . C. 1 4 .
T h e body lanceolate, roundish, compressed, squamous, lubricous. The scales on the head very different in
shape from those on the body.
The head broader than the body, depressed, hardly declivous, covered with remarkably large, bony, angular
scales, contiguous, not imbricate ; the rostrum naked. The mouth wide, horizontal, rounded ; lips thin ; jaws
extractile, the under somewhat longer. The fore teeth above and below, in several rows, close and small : in
the under jaw behind are some larger curve teeth. The tongue short, sharp, smooth, free. On each side of
the palate a phalanx of small teeth. The eyes supreme, near the rostrum, small, round, the ins orange, the
orbit deep. Nostrils double, round ; one close to the orbit, the other on the verge of the rostrum : near the
latter a small tulnilus, hardly visible in the dead subject. The branchial opercula oblong, squamous, the posterior
margin ciliate; the membrane exposed ; the aperture arched, lateral and gular.
The trunk. The back almost straight, declining very gently towards the tail. The abdomen straight,
convex ; the .sides rounded at the shoulders, more compressed towards the tail. The branchiæ tuberculate, and
rough. The lateral line conspicuous, not carinate; slopes gently from the upper edge of the oiwrcula till on a
line with the eleventh ray of the dorsal fin, then bends abruptly, and runs straight along the middle of the
tail. The anus nearer tlie head than the caudal fin.
The Jns. The dorsal, consisting of forty-five ramous rays nearly of equal length till near the end, possesses
the whole of the back from the shoulders to within less than an inch of the tail ; the pectoral round, of moderate
size ; the ventral very short ; the anal little more than half the length of the dorsal, but similar in shape ; the
caudal oblong, round.
The colour of tlie head and back very dark, or nearly black ; approaching the lateral line it grows a few
shades lighter, and, extending over it, forms a row of oblong-conical marks pointing downwards, the interstices
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