Descriptions of Fishes from the Coast of Natal. 177 



with 2 spines, a temporal ridge with spines ; mouth wide, cleft 

 slightly oblique, lower jaw slightly longer than upper, maxil- 

 lary reaches to vertical of middle of orbits ; a slender barbel 

 at symphysis of lower jaw, with one on each mandible a little 

 behind it. 



Dorsal xv 9 ; spines slender, first 2 about equal, increasing gradu- 

 ally to 10th, which is about f length of head, then decreasing to 14th 

 which is about f the height of the last spine ; anterior soft rays 

 longest and about same length as longest spine. Pectorals about 

 If times length of head, reach to vertical of last soft ray of anal ; 

 the single appendage reaches nearly to vent, and is almost the 

 length of the ventrals, which are about f length of head. Anal iii 7 ; 

 spines flexible, 3rd longest and about f length of adjacent ray, which 

 about equals the height of longest dorsal spine. Caudal rounded. 

 Scales cycloid. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), white, a black spot between 

 1st and 2nd and 9th to 12th spines of dorsal, three cross- 

 bars over soft dorsal, and four on caudal, extremity of pectorals 

 black. 



One specimen, 107 mm. in length, procured by the ss. Pieter 

 Faure from off Umhlanga Eiver mouth, 2-J miles, in shrimp trawl- 

 depth 22 to 26 fms. Fine sand. 



MINOUS SUPERCILIOSUS, n. sp. 



Depth of body nearly 3 times in total length excluding caudal, 

 length of head 2| times. Snout equals diameter of eye, which is 

 about 3 times in length of head ; interorbital width f diameter 

 of eye ; maxillary reaches to vertical of anterior third of orbits ; 

 preorbital very rugose, armed on each side with a strong sharp spine 

 nearly f diameter of eye in length, with a small one at its base ; 

 preoperculum with strong coarse teeth on lower margin and a strong 

 spine, the same length as preorbital one, at the angle ; temporal and 

 occipital ridges and border of orbits spinate and rugose ; interorbital 

 space with a deep longitudinal groove, the edges of which are 

 spinulose ; a long tentacle over each eye and about half its diameter 

 in length, 2 or 3 smaller tentacles on each side near the base of this 

 tentacle ; cleft of mouth slightly oblique, lower jaw projects and 

 has a fringe of small barbels underneath each mandible, the 

 posterior barbel on each side being longest and about -? diameter 

 of eye. 



Dorsal xi 12 ; originates a little in front of vertical of end of 

 preopercular spine and extends to base of caudal, to which it is 



