168 BATHACHIDJ;:. 



or less confluent, and having whitish spots between them. Caudal 

 and pectoral with many round white spots, arranged in transverse 

 series. 



r/. Fine specimen. Now Orleans. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 

 h. Adult. From the Haslar Collection. 



Air-bladder cardifonn, with the notch anteriorly. 



Skeleton. — Valenciennes' s description of the skuU of B. surina- 

 mensis agrees very well with that of the present species. The skeleton 

 diflers from that of B. didactt/hts in the following points : — 



Tlic crown of the head is not much broader than long, and divided 

 into two parts by a very distinct hmgitucUnal crest, rectangular to 

 the transverse ridge of the transverse muciferous channel. The latter 

 is divided into two portions, each p irtion being continuous with an 

 iuterorbital channel. The iutcrorbital space is so nan-ow as to be 

 entirely occupied by the channels and their ridges. There is a prne- 

 orbital present ; it is narrow, styliform, flexible, situated behind and 

 below the maxillary. The base of the cranium is very convex. Five 

 carpal bones distinctly developed. The vertebral column is composed 

 of twelve abdominal and twenty-two caudal vertebrae, the length of 

 the former portion being to that of the caudal as 1 : 1-7. All the 

 vertebrae are very short. 



2. Batrachus grunniens. 



Knorhaen, Nimh. Zee- en Lantreize, p. 271 cum fig., cop. by Wil- 



liKjhby, App. pi. 4. fig. 1. 

 Cottus gi'uuuiens, var, B., L. Mus. Ad, Fried, ii. p. 65 ; L. Gm. i. 



p. 1209. 

 Cottus gnmuiens, Bhch, taf. 179 ; Lacep. iii. p. 232 ; Shaw, Zool. iv. 



p. 256. 

 Batrachus grimniens, Bl. Schn. p. 43 ; Bleeh. Biomc, p. 487. 

 Batrachoides g-augeue, JSttch. Ham. Fish. Gang. p. 34. pi. 14. fig. 8. 



D. 3 I 20. A. 16-18. V. 1/2. 



The length of the head is contained three times and a half in the 

 total ; the width of the bony bridge between the orbits is five times 

 and a half in the length of the head, and equals the diameter of the 

 eye, which is shorter than the snout. GiU-covers with four spines 

 directed backwards, two belonging to the operculum and two to the 

 suboperculum. Vomer and palatine bones with a single series of 

 short conical teeth. Snout broad, depressed, flat, surrounded by a 

 wreath of short tentacles ; tentacles above the orbit short, sometimes 

 entii-ely absent. The maxillary extends to below the posterior mar- 

 gin of the orbit. No foramen in the axil. Head, body, and vertical 

 fins brown, irregularly marbled with darker ; pectorals brown-dotted, 

 the dots confluent into rather irregular cross-streaks. 



East Inchan Seas. 



a. Adult. Amboyna. Purchased of Mr. Stevens. 

 h. Adult. Ganges. Presented by G. R. Waterhouse, Esq. — Type 

 of Batrachoides gangcne, Buch. Ham. 



