246 Annals of the South African Museum. 



length of head, succeeding rays decrease in length to 10th, the 

 remainder being subequal but with their branched extremities 

 produced' beyond the connecting membranes ; at a short distance 

 behind the soft dorsal is a finlet composed of two rays, the posterior 

 one rather elongated and extending almost to base of caudal. Pec- 

 torals short, JT length of head. Ventrals about equal in length to 

 pectorals. Anal i 17, 2 ; similar to soft dorsal but not so high, and 

 with a similar finlet posteriorly. Caudal deeply forked, 1 T 3 ^ times 

 length of head. Scales on cheeks, behind eyes, upper edge of 

 operculum and on body ; a narrow band along base of soft dorsal 

 as far as 10th ray, wider anteriorly, and a similar band on base 

 of anal. Lat. 1. 105, lat. tr. -',!}. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), uniform dark brown, caudal light- 

 coloured. 



One specimen, 429 mm. in length, from Mr. Eomer Robinson, 

 Natal. 



As compared with description of S. bipinnulatus the eye is much 

 smaller, and maxillary does not reach to front margin of eye, but it 

 probably is identical w y ith this species. 



FAMILY SCOMBKUXE. 



SCOMBER COLIAS, Grnel. 



Teeth, in a single row on both jaws ; minute on palate. Depth of 

 body 5f times in total length excluding caudal, length of head nearly 

 3^- times. Snout nearly 1 times diameter of eye, which equals 

 interorbital width and' is 4 : 1- times in length of head ; greatest width 

 of head 2^ times in its length. Eyes with narrow anterior and 

 broad posterior adipose lids; interorbital space flat with a trans- 

 lucent oblong space between and slightly in front of the eyes ; lower 

 jaw slightly longer than upper, maxillary reaches to vertical of 

 anterior 3rd of eye, and is hidden by preorbital ; preoperculum 

 broad, the space between the angle and the anterior ridge is marked 

 by striations diverging from a common centre. 



Dorsal x, i 11, v ; spines of first dorsal weak and receivable into a 

 groove ; 2nd and 3rd spines longest, not quite -J length of head, 

 succeeding spines rapidly decreasing, the last spine separate and 

 almost concealed ; distance between the two dorsals equals the 

 height of the longest spine. Second dorsal low, upper edge slightly 



