192 Annals of the South African. Museum. 



greatest width nearly its length ; snout depressed, lower jaw 

 slightly longer, maxillary reaches almost to vertical of anterior 

 margin of orbits ; greatest depth of preorbital nearly 1J times 

 diameter of eye ; preoperculum entire, suboperculum with 2 or 3 

 serrations, operculum with a well-defined spine. 



Dorsal v 22 ; spines strong, 3rd and 4th equal about 1^ times 

 diameter of eye and nearly J length of head ; soft rays about twice 

 diameter of eye and nearly \ length of head, membranes deeply 

 incised. Pectorals rather truncate, shorter than ventrals and 

 nearly f length of head. Anal i 18 ; soft rays a little longer than 

 those of soft dorsal ; membranes deeply incised. Caudal truncate 

 or very slightly rounded, the outer rays above and below a little 

 prolonged. Scales, 5 rows between lateral line and base of 1st 

 dorsal ; lat. 1. 77, lat. tr. ^. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), grey, dorsally with about 8 bands 

 of the same colour, ventrally an indistinct broad white band from 

 pectorals to caudal, and a black spot on upper part of base of 

 caudal. 



One specimen, 220 mm. in length, from Mr. Eobinson, Natal. 



SlLLAGO SIHAMA, Forsk. 



(Smelt.) 



Teeth, villiform bands on both jaws ; a semicircular band on 

 vorner. Depth of body 5| to 6 times in total length excluding 

 caudal, length of head 3^- to 3?- times. Snout twice the diameter of 

 the eye, which equals the interorbital width and is 4 to 4|- times in 

 length of head. Snout pointed ; greatest width of head about equals 

 its height and is ^ its length ; upper jaw slightly longer and overlaps 

 the lower ; cleft of mouth small ; vertical limb of preoperculum 

 finely serrated ; operculum with a well-developed spine. 



Dorsal xi, i 21 ; spines of anterior dorsal weak and flexible, 

 2nd and 3rd spines subequal and -^ height of body below them ; 

 2nd dorsal highest anteriorly, where it equals about -f- height of 

 body. Pectorals ^ to length of head, and slightly longer than 

 ventrals. Anal ii 23-24 ; below and similar to soft dorsal, but not 

 quite so high. Caudal emarginate. Scales, 5^ to 6 rows between 

 lateral line and last spine of anterior dorsal. Lat. 1. 70, lat. tr. 4 ^ 5 . 



Colour (of preserved specimens), greenish grey. 



Two specimens, 140 mm., 142 mm. in length respectively, 

 procured by the ss. Pieter Faure in shrimp trawl, 1 to 3J fms. sand 

 and shells, in Bluff Channel, Durban Bay. The fish occurs 

 abundantly in Durban Harbour, and is known as the "Smelt." 



