FAMILY, XXVII— GOBIID^. 293 



the outer of which is the longer : in many villiform rows in the lower jaw, the outer of which are fine, rather 

 elongated and slightly horizontal. Fins — dorsal spines weak, with filamentous terminations as high as the body 

 and equalling the last rays of the dorsal fin, which are the longest and extend to the base of the caudal fin. 

 Pectoral 3/4 of length of head, and 1/4 longer than the ventral. Caudal cut nearly square. Scales — ctenoid, 

 those anterior to the dorsal fin in about 22 rows of rounded ones, which are much smaller than those on the 

 body, and extend forwards as far as the eye, some exist on the upper portion of the opercles : those on the body 

 angular. Colours — of a light brown, a little darkest along the back and upper surface of the head, a black spot 

 at posterior superior angle of opercle, the head and upper two-thirds of the body with numerous vermiculated 

 black lines and spots, the dorsal fin with three or four rows of spots forming bars, and sometimes a dark mark 

 in its outer half from the fifth spine to the end of the fin. Anal with a white outer edge. Caudal with five or 

 sis angular bars or irregularly placed spots. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, apparently preferring brackish waters, as estuaries 

 and backwaters, due to which cause its colours appear subject to considerable variation. The specimen figured 

 (life-size) is from the Andamans. Genus Awaous, Bleeker MSS. 



24. Gobius Malabaricus. 

 Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 18G5, p. 27, and Fishes of Malabar, p. Ill, pi. vii, f. 2. 

 B. V, D. 6 I tV, p. 13, V. 1/5, A. ■^, C. 13, L. 1. 50, L. tr. 9. 



Length of head 1/5, of caudal 1/4, height of body 1/5 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/6 of length 

 of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, 1/2 a diameter apart. Height of head 2/3 of its length, snout obtuse : 

 cleft of mouth oblique, the lower jaw the longer, the maxilla extends backwards to beneath the anterior third 

 of the orbit. Teeth — an external enlarged row in either jaw, no canines. Fins — dorsal spines weak, 

 not fiHform, not quite so long as the second dorsal, the last rays of which reach the base of the caudal, which 

 last is rounded with the middle rays rather the longest. Scales — ctenoid, angular, nine rows between the 

 origin of the second dorsal and anal fins, none on the head. Colours — light brown, with irregular dusky bands 

 on the back and sides, a dark band descends from the eye, and some brown blotches about the head. 

 A deep black crescentic mark on the first dorsal fin, commencing between the second and third spines and 

 continued to the last, above this is a white curved band bordered with black. Second dorsal, anal, and caudal 

 brownish, barred with several rows of darker spots. 



Gohins neglectus, Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 148, may be this species, or Golius striatus, p. 292. 

 Neither Gohius Malabaricus or G. striatus, so far as I have observed, ever attain to nearly eight inches in length 

 as G. neglectus is said to, irrespective of which Jerdon considered striatus as G. BmseUii, C. V. (See p. 295.) 



Ba&tiai.— Backwaters in Madras, also in some of the rivers of Malabar, to about 4 inches in length. 



25. Gobius planifrons, Plate LXIII, fig. 9. 



Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 108. 



B. V, D. G I iV- P- 19> V. 1/5, A. 10, C. 13, L. 1. 46, L. tr. 15. 



Length of head 4i, of caudal 5|, height of body 51 in the total length. Fijes — very high up, diameter 

 1/6 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1-|- ajiart. Greatest width of head equals its length 

 excluding the snout, and its height equals half its length. Upper surface of head flat. Cleft of mouth 

 horizontal, with the jaws anteiiorly of about the same length ; width of the gape equals about half the length of 

 the head, the maxilla reaches to two diameters of the orbit behind its posterior edge. Fine tentacles near the 

 nostrils, and rows of warty glands along the scaleless head. Teeth — in numerous villiform rows, the 

 outer of which are a little enlarged : no canines. Fins — first dorsal low, about half as high as the body beneath 

 it : the second higher. Pectoral as long as the head without the snout : ventral reaches half way to the anal : 

 caudal rounded. Anal papiUa rather large. Scales — those on the body finely ctenoid, about 18 rows 

 before the dorsal fin : the rows on the body very ii-regular, anteriorly they reach to half way between the first 

 dorsal and the hind edge of the eye. Colours — olive, fins very dark gray, second dorsal spotted : a black 

 blotch at the base of the pectoral. 



Habitat. — Bombay, where the specimen figured (life-size) was obtained. 



26. Gobius elegans. 



(Kuhl and v. Hass.) Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 58 ; Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. 1851, i, f. 10 ; Cantor, 

 Catal. p. 179; Gunther, Catal. iii, p. 18. 



B. V, D. 6 I Jg, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. i C. 18, L. 1. 36, L. tr. 9. 



Length of head 1/5, height of body 1/6 of the total length. Snout obtuse. Teeth — small and of equal size. 

 Fims — first dorsal rather lower than the second, which equals that of the body. Caudal rounded. Colours — 

 buff, with a tinge of olive, miniitely dotted with brown : the upper half of the sides with three or four 

 Indistinct lines, each formed by a series of very short brown streaks, beneath which are a series of indistinct brown 

 spots : a blackish spot at the piosterior mai-gin of the orbit : a second at the upper part of the root of the 

 pectoral fin, and a third at the lower part of the root, spreading on to the gill-membrane. Near the lower part 

 of the root of the pectoral is a faint trace of a fourth brown spot. The membranes of the fins are of a very pale 

 bluish-green, minutely clouded with brown : those of the dorsals, particularly the second, with three 



