and the cheeks are but little swelled out. The height of 

 the body and length of the head are equal, and exceed 

 the altitude of the first dorsal. This fin has less of the 

 triangular fonn than is usual in the genus, the five foremost 

 rays differing little in height; the last ray is shorter. The 

 rays of the second dorsal and anal are more than usually 

 numerous. The caudal is widely rounded. The mode- 

 rately large eyes are the length of the orbit apart from 

 each other, the same distance from the edge of the inter- 

 maxillary, and twice as far fi-om the gill-opening. The 

 scales come forward on the top of the head to the orbits, 

 a few clothe the upper border of the gill-cover, but the 

 rest of the head is naked. A row of open pores follows 

 the course of the temporal groove, and three pores exist on 

 the vertical limb of the preojjerculum. A raised mucigenous 

 line runs under the eye, and is connected with another, 

 which forms a small circle on the cheek. 



The cleft of the mouth scarcely reaches to the fore part 

 of the orbit. It is armed above l3y an outer row of subu- 

 late, slightly curved teeth, to the number of eight or ten 

 on each intermaxillary, and extending about half way to 

 the angle of the mouth. The inner teeth are too small to 

 be easily seen without the assistance of a lens, and stand 

 in a single line, as far as the outer ones extend, but beyond 

 them they are two or three rows deep. On the under jaw 

 the outer row is similar, and of the same extent with the 

 upper ones, but it is terminated on the middle of the jaw 

 on each side by a somewhat larger recurved tooth. The 

 distribution of the interior teeth of this jaw is the reverse 

 of what occurs in the upper one, being in a single row 

 towards the corners of the mouth, and in a double one 

 behind the outer teeth. The strap-shaped tongue is pro- 

 minent and smooth. There is a pretty broad velum to 

 both jaws, and the palate is smooth, with a mesial fold of 

 membrane. 



The scales are moderately large, there being sixty-five 

 in a longitudinal row between the gill opening and caudal 

 fin. Their exposed disks, iti situ, are exactly rhomboidal, 

 and their borders are finely plaited and ciliated. The 

 gill-opening is entirely lateral, being closed beneath by 

 the broad and directly transverse attachment of the mem- 

 brane to the isthmus. 



The original colours cannot be ascertained from the 

 specimens, which have been long macerated in spirits. 

 The body is marked by dark patches, which appear to have 

 formed about five vertical bands between the gill-opening 

 and caudal. There are blotches high on the back between 

 the bands, a round dark spot at the base of the middle 

 caudal rays, and some dark specks on the snout and 

 other parts of the head ; a row of coloured spots runs on 

 each side of the hind head, from the eye to the dorsal. 

 The first dorsal is marked in a clouded manner, with alter- 

 nate waving dark and light bands ; a dark streak traverses 

 the bottom of the second dorsal, and the rest of the fin is 

 occupied by five lines alternately lighter and darker. The 

 extreme edge of the fin is blackish ; the anal has likewise 

 a blackish edge, but is without other markings, as are also 

 the pectorals, ventrals, and caudal. Length of the speci- 

 men, S^ inches. 



Hab. Coasts of Western Australia. 



GoBius CRiNiGER. Cuv. et Valenc, 12, p. 8-2. 



Ch. Spec. G. capite michdque esquamosis ; corpore 

 maculoso ; pinnis dor.ti caudcBque seriatim guttatis ; 

 genis, operculis nuchdque liiieis mucigenis percursis ; 

 pons apertis in preoperculo : deiite caniiio parvo in 

 latere utroque maxillce inferioris ; dentibus interioribus 

 mandibulorum brecissimis, scobiformibus, stipatis. 



Radii:— Br. 4 ? D. 6| — 1|9 ; A. 1]9 ; C. 25; P. 15; 

 V. 1|10— 1 united. 



Plate I., figs. 3 and 4, natural size. 



This goby agrees so well with the description of the 

 G. criniger in the Histoire des Poissons, that I have 

 referred it to that species, though I have seen neither 

 authenticated examples nor figures to confirm this deter- 

 mination. The specimen described by M. Valenciennes 

 was obtained at Java by MM. Qiioy and Gaimard, and 

 had a tall filiform tip to the second ray of the first dorsal. 

 M. Valenciennes considers this to be peculiar to the male, 

 and refers to the same species an Indian goby which 

 wants this prolongation. It is also wanting in our example, 

 which was taken on the north-west coast of Australia. 



The head makes a fourth of the total length, caudal 

 included, and its width at the gills, which exceeds half 

 its length, nearly equals its height. The eyes, large and 

 approximated, interfere with the profile. There are three 

 orifices in the nasal region, the lower of which has a very 

 short tubular lip. The head is entirely scaleless, the 

 nakedness extending backwards on the nape to the first 

 dorsal, but there are some small remote scales deeply im- 

 bedded in the skin of the supra-scapular regions. A 

 raised muciferous line, which forks twice, traverses the 

 cheek; two similar lines cross the gill- cover, the lower 

 one being forked ; and there are also some faint ones on 

 the nape. The mouth is cleft to opposite the fore part of 

 the eye, and descends obliquely. The teeth are in fine, 

 close, even, brush-like plates on the jaws. An exterior 

 row of more widely set, slightly taller and curved teeth, 

 reaches to the middle of each jaw, and is terminated in 

 the lower jaw by a recurved canine of small size. The 

 gill-opening is vertical, being closed on the under surface 

 of the head. Only four rays sustain its membrane. If 

 there be a fifth one, it is imbedded in the part attached 

 to the isthmus, and cannot be detected without dissection. 

 The last rays of the second dorsal and anal are, as u.sual, 

 divided to the base. 



The basal streaks of the scales cross the exposed disk, 

 and converge to a point in the middle of the posterior 

 edge, which is strongly toothed. 



The dark markings are well described in the Histoire 

 des Poissons, but the spots on the caudal fin are not 

 noticed. In our specimen there are four rows of round 

 spots, similar to those on the second dorsal ; and the 

 interstices appear to have been yellow. The whole 

 ventrals retain the latter tint, and some streaks of it remain 

 on the dorsal and belly. The length of the specimen, 

 3^ inches. 



Hab. The North-west coast of Australia. 



