238 Annals of the South African Museum. 



operculum and ending in a spine ; orbital ridge spinate and 

 crossing this depression and ending in a strong spine ; a transverse 

 depression before orbits in front of which the snout forms a bony 

 knob between anterior nostrils with a strong spine on either side to 

 the rear ; preorbital with 3 irregular spines on its lower margin and 

 with a spinate ridge proceeding from its anterior margin through the 

 base of these spines and across the cheek to the upper preopercular 

 spine ; preoperculum with 3 spines, operculum with 2 ; a strong 

 spine on shoulder girdle above base of pectoral fin ; a tubercle on 

 chin at symphysis of lower jaw. 



Dorsal xii 10 ; spines strong, deeply notched anteriorly, 3rd spine 

 longest, a little more than i height of body, and f length of head, 

 the following spines decrease in length to the llth, which is 4- the 

 height of the last, forming a notch between spinous and soft portions 

 of the fin; soft dorsal slightly higher than spinous. Pectorals viii 10; 

 upper rays longest and branched, lower rays simple, f length of head. 

 Ventrals nearly f length of head. Anal iii 5 ; spines strong, 3rd 

 slightly longer than 2nd and about f height of longest spine of dorsal 

 and T 7 <j length of head ; soft rays about 1^- times height of those of 

 soft dorsal. Caudal slightly rounded, ^ length of head, rays divided. 

 Lat. 1. 21, sc. 41/ . 



Colour (of preserved specimen), body dark mottled grey with black 

 dots, dorsal, caudal, and anal fins with black spots. 



One specimen, 263 mm. in length, from Durban Museum. 



Most readily distinguishable from S. natalensis by larger eye, and 

 from S. durbanensis by length of last spine of dorsal. 



FAMILY 



TEICHIURUS HAUMELA, Forsk. 



Depth of body 14^ times in total length including tail, length of 

 head 7| times. Snout 2^ times diameter of eye, which is slightly 

 less than interorbital width and 6^ times in length of head ; height 

 of head f its length. Byes situated high up touching profile and 

 less than half the depth of the head where they are situated ; inter- 

 orbital space flat, dorsal profile between upper surface of eye and 

 end of snout slightly concave; lower jaw considerably prolonged 

 beyond upper, maxillary reaches to vertical of posterior half of eyes, 

 distance from eye to upper jaw about f diameter of orbit. 



