27. ^sopiA. 487 



19. Synaptura melanorhyncha. 



Plagusia melanorhjiichus, Bleek. m Natuurk. Tydschr. Nederl. Itid. i. 



p. 15. 

 Achiroides melanorhynchus, Bkek. Verhand. Batav. Genootsch. xxiy. 



Pkuron. p. 19. 



D. 56-61. A. 42-43. C. 16-20. V. 4. L. lat. 60-65. 



Pectorals none. The height of the body is two-fifths of the total 

 length (with the caudal), the length of the head one-fifth or two- 

 ninths. The width of the interorbital space is nearly equal to the 

 diameter of the eye ; the upper eye is in advance of the lower. 

 Ventral fins free. Brownish, with three black spots along the base 

 of the dorsal, and with two or three along that of the anal. The 

 left side is whitish ; the snout only is sometimes deep black. 



Kivers of Sumatra, Borneo, and Gamboja. 



a. Forty lines long. From Dr. P. v. Bleeker's Collection. 



b. Twenty-two lines long. Gamboja. From M. Mouhot's Collection. 



27. -ESOPIA. 



^sopia, sp., Kaup. 



This genus appears to agree in its characters with Sytuijjtara, but 

 the scales are said to be smooth. 

 East Indies. 



According to the rules of nomenclature, the name of JEsojna ought 

 not to be retained for the following single species, but for the five 

 other species which Hr. Kaup has referred to that genus. But as we 

 are incUned to consider those five species as belonging properly to the 

 genus Synaptura, we rather prefer to apply a name once used, than to 

 introduce a new one for a species so Uttle known as the following. 

 We have too frequently had occasion to lament the practice of those 

 who, without knowing a species or even the fonns allied to it, pick 

 out of the description some character, on which they base a genus 

 which will never find place in the system other\vise than as a useless 

 synonjTn. 



1. .Slsopia comuta. 



Russell, pi. 72 (bad). 



Solea comuta, Cuv. Befftie Anim. 



^sopia comuta, Kaup in Wiegm Arch. 1858, p. 95. 



D. 72. A. 62. C. 17. P. 10. V. 3-4. 



Scales without spines. Vertical fins confluent. The first dorsal 

 ray is prolonged ; pectoral rudimentarj-. Twelve or thirteen cross- 

 bands, the first on the snout ; caudal with black and grey mark- 

 ings, and with a white dart-shaped spot before the black extremity. 

 {Kaup.^ 



British India. 



