FAMILY, VII— SCORP^XID^. 163 



B. vii, D. i:V, P. 1/8, V. G, A. |, C. 10-12, Csec. pyl. 0(4). Vert. 10/14. 



Length of head 2/.5, of caudal 1/7, height of body 21 in the total length. JS'f/es— diameter 1/6 to 1/7 of 

 length of head and 2 diameters from end of snout. Head monstrous : interorbital space very concave : orbits 

 but little elevated. A slight groove on the cheek : no saddle-shaped depression across the occiput. The anterior 

 uxtremity of the lower jaw is on the dorsal profile. Body with cutaneous excrescences, and many filaments 

 about the head. Cofowre— brownish, caudal with a vertical dark band down its centre and white mai'gins : 

 pectoral and ventral with dark edges and light borders : anal banded. 



Lienard's Synancee « trois handes, D. 13/7, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. |, C. 14 (Nat. Hist. Soc. Mauritius, 1839, 

 p. 34) is apparently this species. Three vertical white bands, the first between the fifth and seventh dorsal 

 spines : the second at the commencement of the rays : the third over the base of the caudal. Caudal with 

 two brown bands between the white, and a third of yellow. 



Le JuD-e, in the Transactions of the same Society (1871, v, p. 10), has observed that this fish termed 

 ' Lafie' is very poisonous at the Mauritius ; the poisonous instrument being its dorsal spines, each of which 

 has a poison bag at its base. 



Hahitat — Eed Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond : attaining 

 at least 13 inches in length. 



Genus, 17 — PSEUDOSTNANCEIA. 



Brancldosterjals seven. Body elongated, cmteriorly sub-cylindrical, posteriorly compressed : head Iroad 

 depressed. Eyes on the upper surface of the head directed upviards. Preopercle and preorhital armed. Gill-opening 

 with a sitperior as well as posterior orifice, the two being continuous. Villiform teeth in the jaws and on the vomer, 

 none mi the palate or tongue. A single dorsal fin with strong spines (16) and (5) unhranched rays: anal with three 

 spines and few rays (7). No piectoral appendage. Ventral thoracic with one spine and lessthanfive (3) rays, ami not 

 united to the abdomen along its inner edge. Articulated fin-rays unhranched. Scales absent, skin smooth. 



This genus differs from Leptosynanceia, Bleeker, in having vomerine teeth. Should these teeth be 

 inconstant, the fish described would belong to genus Leptosynanceia. 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Pseidosyna'Meia melanostigma. D. V°> -A-- t- Grey mottled with black. Some of the fins yellow with 

 black edges or bauds. Coast of Sind. 



1. Pseudosynanceia melanostigma, Plate LV, fig. 6. 



B. vii, D. VS P- 14, V. 1/.3, A. A, c. 11. 



Length of head 4|, of caudal 4^, height of body one-sixth in the total length. B^es— diameter 1/7 of 

 length of head, 1\ diameters from end of snout, and 3 apart. The eyes arc upon the upper surface of the head 

 and directed upwards and slightly outwards. The maxilla, which expands posteriorly, reaches to below the 

 middle of the eye. Upper surface of head depressed and its width rather exceeding its length. Preorbital 

 with ridges placed in a star form and ending in two spines on its lower border. IJpper surface of the head 

 with sinuous, but not spinate, ridges. Preopercle with a moderately strong spine at its angle, and three short 

 blunt ones along its lower limb. Operole with a spine. Gill opening with a small roundod_ superior orifice,^ 

 exclusive of, but continuous with the posterior one. Lower jaw the longer, its symphysis forming a portion of 

 the dorsal profile. Teeth — villiform in the jaws, in a well-developed transverse band across the vomer, none on 

 the palate or tongue. Fins — dorsal spines strong, commencing over the centre of the opercle, the posterior ones 

 being somewhat the longest but not so high as the rays, which are unhranched; interspinous membrane deeply 

 cleft, the soft dorsal not continuous with the caudal. Pectoral with its upper rays much the longest, it extends 

 to over the anal. Ventral short. Anal spines short but pungent, its rays and those of the caudal unhranched. 

 No skinny tentacles on head, body or fins. Colours — of a grey mottled with black on the top of the head and 

 along the back, becoming yellow on the abdomen. Spinous dorsal also mottled, a vertical yellow band across 

 the front half of the soft dorsal, and black in its last half. Pectoral yellow, with some grey spots at its base 

 and a wide black edge. Ventral and anal yellow edged with black. Caudal yellow, with a black band down 

 its last half, externally edged with yellow. 



Habitat. — Kurrachee, in Sind, where I procured the specimen figured (7 inches long). It lives in the 

 mud and is difficult to obtain, for although I saw several we only captured one. 



Genus, 18 — Poltcaulis, Giinther. 

 SynOmceia, sp. Bloeh : Trachicephalus,* Swainson. 



Branchiostegals seven. Body anteriorly sub^cijlindrical, posteriorly compressed : head hroad,^ rather depressed. 

 Eyes directed upimrds. Preopercle armed. Gill-opening with a stiperior as well as posterior orifice, the tivo being 

 continuous. Villiform teeth in the jaws, absent on the vomer. A single dorsal fin with flexible qiines and rays: anal 

 somewhat elongated : no pectoral appendages : ventral thoracic, united to the abdomen along its inner edge. Articu- 

 lated fin-rays unhranched. Scales absent. Vertical fins more or less enveloped m skm. 



Geographical distribution. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyend. 



* PreoccupieJ, Trachycephalus, Tsch. Kept. 1838. 



