176 Annals of the South African Museum. 



smaller spines below it ; opercular spine only slightly developed ; 

 orbital tentacles small ; tentacles on lower edge of preorbital, the 

 lower one more developed, and one or two tentacles on lower margin 

 of preoperculum . 



Dorsal xii, i 11 ; interspinous membranes deeply emarginate, 

 spines lower anteriorly, the first 2 close together, 1st spine a little 

 more than -| length of head, the succeeding ones increasing to the 

 6th or 7th, which are subequal and ^ length of head; the last 2 

 spines are much shorter, the 12th being about f the height of the 

 6th or 7th, and forming a notch between the spinous and soft-rayed 

 portions of the fin. The middle soft rays are about -^ higher than 

 longest spines ; all the rays are split. Pectorals 13 ; reach to 

 posterior end of soft dorsal ; rays of upper half of fin have mem- 

 branes deeply cleft and are If times length of head. Ventrals about 

 J longer than head and reach to origin of anal. Anal iii 7 ; spines 

 moderately strong, 3rd longest and about same height as 1st spine 

 of dorsal ; soft rays split, middle ones about same height as soft 

 dorsal. Caudal about f longer than head, rounded, rays split, and 

 middle ones longest. Scales on base of pectorals. Lat. tr. \\. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), greyish brown, with vertical dark 

 bands with narrower and lighter intermediate ones, three or four 

 brown bands radiating downwards from eye, three or four extending 

 across nape and head. Pectorals and ventrals blackish ; vertical 

 fins without black spots. 



One specimen, 188 mm. in length, from Mr. Robinson, Natal. 



A second specimen from Natal agrees with the above excepting that 

 (1) the soft vertical fins have black spots ; (2) the pectorals extend 

 to the root of the caudal ; (3) soft dorsal and anal are rather longer; 

 (4) soft dorsal has 10 rays, anal has 6. In other respects they 

 resemble each other so closely that we have considered them as 

 specifically the same. 



APISTUS FAUREI, n. sp. 



Depth of body 3j- times in total length excluding caudal, length 

 of head a little less than three times. Snout equals diameter of eye, 

 which is 3 times in interorbital width and slightly over 4 times 

 in length of head. Eyes directed slightly upwards and outwards ; 

 preorbital produced on each side of point of snout with a large spine 

 longer than diameter of eye and 2 smaller ones anteriorly on each 

 side ; two lines from point of snout passing backwards betw r een eyes 

 and diverging on occiput to nape ; preoperculum with a strong spine 

 on posterior margin and 3 smaller ones at the angle ; operculum 



