34 Annals of the South African Museum. 



Dorsal ix 10 ; 1st spine very short, 2nd produced and nearly 

 If times length of head, extending to about posterior extremity of 

 soft dorsal ; the last 4 spines are shorter than the soft rays, which ante- 

 riorly are nearly f length of head and decrease in height posteriorly. 

 Pectorals 1~- times length of head, reaching to anal. Ventrals 

 f length of head. Anal iii 7 ; 2nd spine stronger and about same 

 length as 3rd, which is length of head. Lat. 1. 45, lat. tr. T *V- A 

 well-developed scaly sheath at base of dorsal and anal ; about 

 5 rows of scales between lateral line and base of dorsal sheath. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), silvery below, darker above ; 

 extremity of dorsal black edged, tip of caudal lobes dark, minute 

 dark specks on anal and soft dorsal. 



One specimen, 171 mm. in length, from Mr. Komer Robinson, 

 Natal. 



FAMILY SQUAHIPINNES. 



GEN. CH^TODON, Lin. 



CHJSTODON VAGABUNDUS, L. 



Teeth fine and brushlike. Depth of body nearly If times in total 

 length excluding caudal, length of head 3^ times. Snout 1J times 

 diameter of eye, which is slightly less than interorbital width and 

 3f times in length of head. Dorsal profile much elevated and con- 

 cave from above eyes to snout ; lips equal, upper very thick in the 

 centre ; maxillary scarcely reaches vertical of anterior nostril ; snout 

 a little produced and pointed ; preopercle scarcely denticulated. 



Dorsal xiii 25, commences above base of pectorals, spines strong ; 

 interspinous membranes deeply notched ; soft portion of fin higher 

 than spinous and obtusely angular, the middle rays longest. Pec- 

 torals a little more than | length of head. Ventrals f length of 

 head, scarcely reaching anus, the spine strong. Anal iii 21 ; 2nd 

 spine about same length as 3rd but stronger and slightly curved ; 

 soft portion of fin similar to soft dorsal. Caudal fan-shaped with 

 slightly curved outer edge. Scales ciliated, entirely covering head. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), silvery, a black band about the 

 diameter of the eye in width passing upwards from angle of inter- 

 opercle through eye to nape at origin of dorsal fin and descending 

 thence to angle of interopercle on the other side ; a black curved 

 band from outer edge of last dorsal spine passing along lower half 

 of soft dorsal across peduncle and on to anal as far as the 12th ray ; 



