1. GOBITJS. 53 



Gobius niger (part, descr.), Yarrell, Brit. Fishes, 2nd edit. i. p. 281, 3rd 

 edit. ii. p. 318. 



niger, Thomjjs. Ann. ^ Mag. Nat. Hist. 1839, ii. p. 417. 



? Gobius sordidus, Benn. Proc. Zool. Soc, iii. 1835, p. 91. 



^■^Imh^r ^■mrrr.- L.lat. 54-55. 



Fifteen or sixteen longitudinal series of scales between the second 

 dorsal and the anal fins. The height of the body is contained five 

 times and a half in the total length, the length of the head four 

 times and a half. The width of the interorbital space is less than 

 that of the orbit. Dorsal fins close together, rather lower than the 

 body ; the distance of the dorsal from the eye equals that of the 

 snout from the prseoperculum. The upper rays of the pectoral fin 

 very fine, silk-Uke ; the ventrals do not reach to the vent. Brownish, 

 indistinctly marbled with darker ; the first dorsal fin greyish, with a 

 black longitudinal spot, and Avith a broad colourless upper margin ; 

 the other fins blackish, generally with indistinct dots. 



Mediterranean ; coasts of Great Britain. 



a-b. Adult and half-grown. Clonakilty, South Ireland. From 



the Museum Leach as Gobius niger. 

 c. Half-grown. Frith of Forth. 

 d,e,f. Fine specimens. Falmouth. Purchased. 

 g, h. Fine specimens. Madeira. 

 i. Large specimen. Dalmatia. 



h. Adult : skin. Leghorn. From Mr. Yarrell's Collection. 

 l-p. Adult : skins. From Mr. Yarrell's Collection as Gobius niger. 

 q, r. Adult. 



104. Gobius melanostoma. 



Gobius melanostomus, Pull. Zoogr. iii. p. 151 ; Nordm. in Demicl. 

 Voy. Puss. Her id. iii. p. 411. pL 7. 



D. 6 I 16. A. 14. L. lat. 50-52. 



Sixteen longitudinal series of scales between the second dorsal 

 and the anal fins. The height of the body is contained five times 

 and a half in the total length, the length of the head four times and 

 a foiu'th . The interorbital space is naked, and its width is less than 

 the vertical diameter of the eye. Snout nearly twice as long as the 

 eye, with the jaws equal anteriorlj' ; teeth of the outer series en- 

 larged. Streaks of minute warts below the eye, none on the neck. 

 Dorsal fins close together, of nearly equal height, lower than the 

 body ; the distance of the fii'st dorsal from the eye equals that of the 

 snout from the prseoperculum. None of the pectoral rays silk-like ; 

 basal half of the pectoral scaly ; the ventraLs do not reach to the 

 vent, and have the basal membrane very developed. Light brown, 

 clouded with darker ; the first dorsal with a deep-black spot pos- 

 teriorly ; the outer half of the vertical fins brown. 



Black Sea. 



A specimen from Yarua is in the Collection of the Poppelsdorf 

 Museum (Bonn). 



