272 BLENNIID^. 



are remote from, but connected by a membrane with, the others ; they 

 are not elevated, the height of the dorsal being one-third of that of 

 the body ; spines rather slender. Dorsal slightly contiguous with the 

 caudal. Greyish-brown (sometimes with a round black, yeUow-edged 

 spot on each side of the neck : CI. perspicillatm) ; six brown cross- 

 bars on the back ; a pair of brown spots at the root of the caudal. 

 Port Western and Port Arthur. 



a. Adult : somewhat discoloured. Port Arthur. From the Haslar 

 Collection. — Type of Clinus despicillatus. 



13. CRISTICEPS*. 



Clinus, sp., Cuv. 8f Val. xi. p. 352. 

 Cristiceps, Cuv. ^ Val. xi. p. 402. 



Body moderately elongate, covered with small or rudimentary scales. 

 Snout rather 8hort,_with the cleft of the mouth of moderate width. 

 A band of small teeth in the jaws ; teeth on the vomer. Two sepa- 

 rate dorsals : the anterior short, formed by three spines ; the posterior 

 long, most of the rays being unarticulated. Ventrals jugular, com- 

 posed of one spine and two or three rays. Head generally with ten- 

 tacles. Gill-opening wide ; bf anchiostegals six. Pyloric appendages 

 none . — Viviparous. 



Mediterranean. South coast of Java. Coasts and rivers of Au- 

 stralia and Tasmania. 



Cuvier has founded a separate genus for an Australian fish, Cristiceps 

 australis, on account of its anterior dorsal fin being a little more 

 remote from the posterior than in the Mediterranean species, and 

 because he did not see the scales ; these, however, are present, as in 

 the species of the genus Clinus, although they are very small and 

 rudimentary. The species of Clinus and Cristiceps form one natural 

 genus ; but if they be divided, it is far better to take as the distin- 

 guishing character the structure of the dorsal fin. In one of the 

 groups \Clinus) the dorsal is continuous, whilst in the other (^Cristi- 

 ceps') the three anterior spines are detached, forming an entirely 

 separate fin. 



1. Cristiceps axgentatus. 



Blennius argentatus, Risso, Ichth. Nice, p. 140. 



audifredi, Risso, Ichth. Nice, p. 139. 



Clinus argentatus, Risso, Eur. MSrid. iii. p. 238. 



testudinarius, Risso, Eur. M&rid. iii. p. 239. 



virescens, Risso, Eur. Mend. iii. p. 239. 



audifredi, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii. p. 240. 



mutabilis, Cocco, Giom. Sc. Lett, e Arti Sicil. Avril 1833, xlii. 



p. 9. tab. 42. fig. 2. 

 argentatus, Cuv. ^ Val. xi. p. 354 ; Guichen. Explor. Alger. Poiss. 



p. 74. 



B.6. D.3|M A.^. V.1/2. 



The height of the body is contained six times in the total length, 

 * 1. Clinus Dubuifl, (Casieln.) Bleek. Cape of Good Hope, p. 23. 



