48 Annals of the South African Museum. 



be varieties of the same species, and that it seems preferable 

 to extend the definition of the genus Cossyphus to include 

 Chewopsodes. 



FAMILY SCLEBODEBML 



GEN. BALISTES, Arted. 



BALISTES NIGER, Mungo Park. 



Teeth compressed, notched. Depth of body about twice in total 

 length excluding caudal, length of head 2^ times. Snout 4 times 

 diameter of eye, which is about 1-J times in interorbital width and 

 5J times in length of head. A groove in front of the eyes. Cheeks 

 entirely scaled. Some enlarged scutes behind gill-openings. 



Dorsal iii 27 ; commences above first 3rd of pectorals, 1st spine 

 strong and more than f- length of head ; soft rays of 2nd dorsal 

 higher anteriorly, 3rd ray longest and about same height as 1st spine 

 of anterior dorsal, remaining rays shortening to the last which is 

 height of the longest ; margin of tin curving from 3rd to last ray. 

 Pectoral % length of head. Ventral spine movable, a series of sharp 

 spines from its base to the vent. Anal 24, similar to soft dorsal, but 

 margin of fin a little rounder. Caudal i length of head, truncate. 

 Lat. 1. sc. 45 (circa); about 25 series of scales in a transverse line from 

 origin of soft dorsal to vent ; 6 rows of small recurved spines on tail. 



Colour (when fresh) "yellow brown; violet blue from mouth to 

 ventrals ; 2 white bands under mouth. Tail brown with longi- 

 tudinal yellow stripes and broad white outer edging, and narrow 

 white edging above and below. Dorsal and anal chocolate base 

 shading to lighter brown, pectorals ditto." 



Colour (of preserved specimen), bluish brown, a light ring round 

 lower jaw; soft dorsal, anal and pectorals light-coloured; caudal 

 with a light upper and lower edge and a wiiite posterior extremity. 



One specimen, 130 mm. in length, taken off the breakwater at 

 Durban ; from Mr. Komer Eobinson, who kindly supplied a note 

 of the colouring when fresh. 



GEN. MONACANTHUS, Guv. 



MONACANTHUS NATALENSIS, n. Sp. 



Depth of body 1J times in total length excluding caudal, length 

 of head nearly 3i times. Snout 4|- times diameter of eye, which 



