Some Further Intelligence Relating to the Jaculator Fish, Mentioned in the Philosophical Transactions for 1764, Art. XIV. from Mr. Hommel, at Batavia, together with the Description of Another Species, by Dr. Pallas, F. R. S. in a Letter to Mr. Peter Collinson, F. R. S. from John Albert Schlosser, M. D. F. R. S.

The root fibrous; when old, woody. The young stalks of a grey green; in the second year, red. They have knots at different intervals. Each knot has two sharp-pointed leafy narrow stipulae. The stalks are dichotomi: and near the umbella there is, at every bifurcation, a flower twice as big as the others, having its seeds more ripe and perfect. The calyx grows almost woody, and is five-pointed. The petala are small, oval-pointed, white, in number ten: the five stamina short: the antherae yellow: the pistilla two, very short. The seeds egg-shaped, one or two strongly adhering to the calyx. The whole plant, when old, has stalks ten inches in length, procumbent by the weight of the flowers, and making a sort of convex bush round about the root. XXI. Some further Intelligence relating to the Jaculator Fish, mentioned in the Philosophical Transactions for 1764, Art. XIV. from Mr. Hommel, at Batavia, together with the Description of another Species, by Dr. Pallas, F. R. S. in a letter to Mr. Peter Collinson, F. R. S. from John Albert Schloesser, M. D. F. R. S. Amsterdam, Feb. 15, 1766. Read June 5, 1766. WHEN the Jaculator fish intends to catch a fly or any other insect, which is seen at a distance, it approaches very slowly and cautiously, and comes as much as possible perpendicularly dicularly under the object: then the body being put in an oblique situation, more or less in this manner, and the mouth and eyes being near the surface of the water, the Jaculator stays a moment quite immovable, having its eyes directly fixed on the insect, and then begins to shoot, without ever shewing its mouth above the surface of the water, out of which the single drop, shot at the object, seems to rise. With the closest attention I never could see any part of the mouth out of water, though I have very often seen the Jaculator fish shoot a great many drops one after another, without leaving its place and fixed situation. No more than two different species of this fish are found here. The first and rarest kind is that which I sent before; and to the description published in the LIVth volume of the Philosophical Transactions, the foregoing account may be added. You now will receive from me, a specimen of the second species, which is the most common here. Batavia, October 30, 1764. Hommel. Tab. VIII. Fig. 6. Sciæna Jaculatrix, quinque maculata, pinnis ventralibus adnatis, maxilla inferiore longiore. Locus. Mare Indicum. Magnitudo cyprini rutili. Corpus macrolepidotum (covered with large scales), dorso convexo, versus pinnam ascendente, abdomine tumidulo, antice carinato. Caput undique squamosum, corpore crassius, supra planiusculum. Os ascendens, maxilla inferiore multo longiore, utriusque marginibus subtiliter scabris. Palatum osseum, concavo carinatum, subtilissime scabrum. Lingua, plana, acuta, supra basin in medio gibba. Oculi magni, laterales, iride fulvo-aurea. Pinnae pectorales, acuminatae, radiorum XII. Pinnae ventrales radiorum VI, primo breviore aculeato, triangulares, fere sub pectoralibus, paulo posterius, inter se membranula connexae, quae abdominis frœnulo adhaeret. Squama lanceolata, frœnulo pinnarum ventralium utrinque accubans. Pinna dorsalis dimidia dorfi longitudine, caudæ proxima, ascendens basi subcarnosa, radiorum XIII in uno, XV in altero specimine, quorum IV priores maximi, aculeati, primo breviore, membranis interfictis, unde pinna anterius ferrata. Pinna ani, dorsali opposita, basi carnosa, squama-taque, seu carinae caudæ productae insidens, radiorum XVIII, quorum tres priores aculeati. Pinna caudæ subæqualis, radiorum XVII. Color piscis aureus, in dorso sucescens; maculae fuscae, transversae, ad dorsum utrinque quinæ, æquidistantes, prima ad tempora, ultima prope caudam.