g78 LOPHOBRANCHII. 



more tlian lialf the length of the head. Interorbital space nearly flat. A low and blunt ridge at the occiput 

 •uid nape Opercle covered with tine radiating lines. Vent below middle of the dorsal fin. Bodj- i)rominent 

 inferiorly from the sixth to the eleventh body rings, i^tns— dorsal low, it commences on the third body rmg 

 liefore the one carrying the vent, it is situated on seven rings, and has its base elevated. (7o?ow>-s— grayish 

 l)rown, with dark rings: under surface of snout light coloured with dark spots. 



My unique Madras example (figured) has the comparatively thin body of S. Ceylonensis, Giinther 

 (example «) but has more osseous ring's in the tail. It does not seem improbable that S. Zanzibarensis, 

 Giinther may be partly this species, and perhaps example " e. Adult, China. Presented by Vice- Admiral Sir 

 E. Belcher," may be the second example which Kaup stated existed in the British Museum collection. 

 Dumeril ii,' p. 519, considers 8. Zanzibarensis, Giinther, identical with S. hicoardatus, Bleeker. 



Habitat. — ? Ceylon, Madras and China. 



3. Syngnathus intermedius, Plate CLXXIII, fig. G. 



Tracliyrhamphus intermedius, Kaup, Loph. p. 24 ; Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. ii, p. 538. 



SijHijnatJius intermedius, Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 168. 



D. 28, P. 18, A. 4, C. 9. Osseous rings 24-26 + 48-49. 



Length of head 3f to 4^ in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : the length of the 

 trunk, between the end of the snout and the vent, equals If in the total length. Egg-pouch 2/6 of length of 

 tail £)/es— diameter 3i in the length of the snout and situated m the posterior 1/2 of the head. Body 

 deeper than broad. Length of snout 1/2 of that of the head and without any elevated ridge along its upper 

 surface except a proiection above the nostrils. Interorbital space slightly concave, owing to the supraorbital 

 rid<^es beino- well developed. A low and blunt projection on occiput continued as a sharper ridge along the 

 nape Opel-cle with fine radiating lines. Fins-dorsa.1 of moderate height, it commences on the third body 

 rino- before the one carrying the vent, it is situated on 6 or 7 rings, having its base elevated. Length of 

 caudal fin equal to 1/2 that of snout. OoZoh;-s— grayish and banded : dorsal fin spotted , 



Habitat —A pair captured at jMadras : they appear to be identical with Syngnathus Ceylonensis, example 

 h. British Museum catalogue, fi-om Zanzilmr. 



B.—A bony ridge entirely crossing the opercle. 

 4. Syngnathus spicifer, Plate CLXXIV, fig. 1. 



Eiippell, N. W. Fische, p. 143, t. 33, f . 4 ; Kaup, Lophob. p. 34 ; Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. ii, p. 546 ; 

 Gunther, Catal. viii, p. 172; Klunz. Fisehe Roth. Meer, 1871, p. 660 ^^ ^ ^ . oo oo t5 . 



Synqnathus djarong, gastrotmiia and Helfrichii, Bleeker, Trosk. p. 22, Wetensch pp 22 29, Bantan, p. 

 325, Ceram, p.:714, Borneo, p. 428 and en. Pise. p. 187 ; Dumeril, Hist^Poiss. ii, pp. .-.4o, 546 54/. 



Syngnathus argyrostictiis and biserialis, Kaup, Lophob. p. 33 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 264 ; Dumeril, 1. 



c. p. 545. 



Microphis temiis, Blyth, Proc. As. Sc. Beng. 1858. p. 272. 



Ea-de or Lah-atha-dah or " Turtles tail," Andamanese. 



D. 23-27, P. 16, A. 2, C. 8. Osseous rings 15-16+39-42. 



Leno-th of head 2| in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : the length of the trunk 

 from the end of snout to vent 2/6 of the total leng-th. %e5-nearly 1/6 of the length of the head, 

 3 diameters from end of snout. Gill-cover crossed by a raised longitudinal keel : an elevated ridge along tbe 

 upper edo-e of the snout and extending to the nape. Interorbital space concave (due to the upper margin ot 

 the orbit'' being elevated), and which ends posteriorly in a ridge which is continued to the nape. Body 

 compressed, higher than wide : ventral edge very prominent. Length of egg-pouch rather more than 1/- that 

 of tlie tail Fins— the dorsal is situated on the first five rings of the caudal : the anal rays are mmute and 

 sometimes imperceptible. Rings with smooth edges, the division between one and the next but little apparent. 

 Colours— o-eneva\\v light brownish, with a dark brown streak extending from the orbit to the angle ot the 

 mouth and a second from the posterior angle of the eye over the opercle : a few black spots on under surface 

 of the lower jaw : body inferiorly with fine brown bars. Dorsal fin barred with brown spots : caudal blackish 



with a liffht brown base. ^ , ^ a ,. • t :■■ j ii. tit i 



Habitat—Seas, estuaries, and fresh waters of Red Sea, East coast of Africa, India, and the Malay 



Archipelago : it ascends rivers high above the influence of the tides, even into fresh water. Grows to about 



5 inches in length. The example figui'ed was from the Andamans. 



5. Syngnathus cyanospilos. 

 Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. vi, 1854, Banda, p. 114, and en. Pise. p. 187 ; Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. ii, 



D. 555: Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 170. , t^, ^ i -Kr u 



Syngnathus Mossambicus, Peters, Monats. Ak. Wiss. Berl. 1855, p. 465, and Flussfische v. Mossamb. 



p. 104, t. XX, f. 3. 



Syngnath^is Kuhlii, Kaup, Lophob. p. 34. 



D. 20,23, P. 14, A. 4, C. 10. Osseous rings 12-15 + 33-35. 



