Descriptions of Fishes from the Coast of Natal. 49 



is If times in interorbital width and about 5 times in length of 

 head ; eyes placed high up at posterior angle of head, over the gill- 

 openings and just behind dorsal spine ; profile of head from dorsal 

 spine to point of snout slightly concave. 



Dorsal i 34 ; spine length of head, strong and slightly curved, 

 situated nearer to point of snout than to origin of soft dorsal and 

 just in front of the vertical of anterior margin of eye, armed pos- 

 teriorly for about f its length with a series of barbs on each side 

 pointing outward and upward. Soft dorsal highest anteriorly, the 

 rays lengthening to the 5th which is f height of spinous dorsal, the 

 succeeding rays decreasing in height to the last, which is about 



1 the height of the 5th ray. Pectorals a little more than -f length 

 of head and situated in the vertical of posterior margin of orbits. 

 Ventral small, immovable. Anal 31, rays of uniform height and 

 about length of longest rays of soft dorsal, except posteriorly, 

 \vhere they are shortened and give the fin a rounded edge. Caudal 

 f length of head, subtruncate and with the corners rounded ; caudal 

 peduncle swollen at the sides. Scales small, skin velvet-looking 

 with a rough surface, scales setiform and turned forward on side 

 of tail ; minute black hair-like processes occurring in clumps in the 

 form of a few black spots. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), dark brown ; soft dorsal, anal and 

 pectoral fins whitish ; a few dark black spots occurring irregularly 

 on the body. 



One specimen, 170 mm. in length, from Mr. Komer Robinson, 

 Natal. 



FAMILY GYMNODONTES. 



GEN. TETEODON, Guv. 



TETRODON IMMACULATUS, var. VIRGATA, Bl. Schn. 



Teeth of about equal size in both jaws. Length of head scarcely 

 equals its distance from base of dorsal fin and is nearly 2 times in 

 total length excluding caudal. Eyes prominent, situated slightly 

 nearer to gill-opening than to point of snout, longitudinal diameter 

 2^- times in distance from point of snout and twice in interorbital 

 width, which is broad and flat, the osseous part only extending f the 

 distance between the eyes; snout short, obtusely pointed, nearly 

 length of head and scarcely longer than interorbital width ; 



2 well-developed nasal tentacles on each side on a single base. 

 Profile of head from orbits to snout slightly concave. 



