1895. PROCEEDINGS OF TEE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 159 



SiabfaiTiily SOL.EGrlsr-A.TIIIN"JE3. 



Synonyms. 



<C,Solegnathince, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Scl. I'bila. 1859, p. 149 (1859). 

 =SolegnatMnce, Gill, Mem. Nat. Acad. Sci., VI, p. 137, 1893. 



Hippocampidiij with the upper caudal ridge deflected aud continuous 

 iuto the hiteral ridge and the lower caudal ridge continuous -with the 

 ventrolateral ridge of the trunk; nuchal plate not elevated and not 

 connate with the head. 



Only one genus is known, viz : 

 Solegnathus, Swainson, 1839. 



Subfamily TLJ.T'lPOCAJ^LTPllSf.^:,. 



Synonyms as suhfamilies. 



<^nippocamp'm\, Bonaparte, Nuovi Auuali delle Sci. Nat,, II, p. 130, 1838; IV, 



p. 186, 1840. 

 <CHipi)ocampini, Nardo, Atti Congressi Scienz. Ital. rac. et ord,, I, 1842, p. 70, 



(1844). 

 <^Hippocampince, Kaup, Archiv fiii' Naturg., 19. Jahrg., I, p. 228, 1853; also Cat. 



Lopliobr. Fishes Brit. Mus., p. 6, 1856. 

 <^Hippocamp\ formes, Bleeker, Enum. Sp. Piscium Arcliipel. Indico, p. xv, 1859. 

 ^iHippocampina, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1859, p. 149 (1859). 

 <^nippocampini, Dumeril, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, pp. 499, 500, 1870. 

 <^IIippocampina, Gunther, Cat. Fislies Brit. Mus., VIII, pp. 153, 194, 1870. 

 z=iH'q)2)ocampini, Moreau, Hist. Nat. Poiss. France, II, p. 34, 1881. 



Hippocamj)ida3 with the upper caudal ridge ceasing forward under 

 the dorsal and the lower caudal ridge continuous with the lateral ridge 

 of the trunk ; nuchal plate more or less elevated, crowning the back of 

 the head aud connate with the preceding jjlate. 



The subfamily thus defined includes five genera, which represent two 

 sections which themselves should perhaps be raised to subfamily rank. 



Section 1. 



Hippocampus, Rafinesquk, 1810. 

 Acentrointra, Kaup, 1853. 



Section 2. 

 PhyUopteryx, Swainson, 1839. 

 Phycodurus, Gill, 1895. 

 Hallichthys, Gray. 



The genus PJtyUojHeryx, as left by Dr. Giinther, embraces three spe- 

 cies, each of which appears to represent a distinct genus, one of which 

 is unnamed. This is represented by the P. eqiies of Giintlier and may 

 be termed Phijcoihirus on account of its tail, which seems to branch out 

 like a seaweed [<puxuj<)e:;); it is distinguished further by the alternate 

 contraction and expansion of the inferior contour of the body, the 

 spinigerous inferior ridge aud the low-set dorsal flu. 



