12. SOLENOGNATHtJS. 195 



a, h, c, d. Many adult and half-grown specimens. Zanzibar. From 



Lieut.-Col. Playfair's Collection. 

 e. Adult. Seychelles. Presented by Lieut.-Col. Playfair. 

 /, r/. Adult. East-Indian archipelago. 

 h-h. Adult. Singapore. 



l-p. Adult and half-grown. Amboyna. Purchased of Hr. Frank. 

 q-r. Adult. Celebes. 



s. Adult. Philippine Islands. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 

 t, u-v. Adult and half-grown. China Seas. Presented by Vice- 



Admiral Sir E. Belcher. 

 tv-a\ Adult. Cape York. From Hr. Darnel's Collection. 

 y. Adult. North-west Australia. Px'csented by Sir J. Richardson. 

 z. Several dried specimens. 



12. SOLENOGNATHUS. 



Solenognathus, (Stoainson) Kaup, Lophohr. p. 19. 



Body compressed, deeper than broad, only in adult females some- 

 what dilated. Shields hard, rugose, with round or oval inter- 

 annular plates ; no elongate processes. Tail shorter than the body, 

 prehensile. Pectoral fins. 



Chinese and Australian Seas. 



AU the specimens in the British Museum are unfortunately dried, 

 so that the sexes cannot be exactly ascertained ; but although 

 some of them must be of male sex, there is no trace of a pouch or 

 other receptacle for the ova. 



1. Solenognathus hardwickii. 



Syngnathus hardwickii, Gray, Inil. Zool. c. fig. 



Solegnathus polyprion, Bleek. Vcrh. JBnt. Gen. xxv. Trosk. p. 26. 



Solenognathus hardwickii, Kaup, Lophohr. p. 20. 



D. 43-45. Osseous rings 26-274-55-60. 



Dorsal surface slightly concave or flat. Shields very rough and 

 rugose, but with scarcely any spines ; operculum with radiating 

 granulated lines ; a cluster of prominent tubercles on the hinder part 

 of the superciliary edge. 



Chinese and Australian Seas. (There is no evidence that this 

 species occurs in India proper ; also the typical specimens came 

 from China.) 



a-h. Adult : types of the species. China. Presented by General 

 Hardwicke. 



c. Many adult and half-grown examples. China. 



d. Adult. Houtman's Abrolhos. 



As in certain species of Syngnaflius, the relative depth of the body 

 varies in females, old examples having it much deeper than young. 



2. Solenognathus spinosissimus. 



Very much resembling S. hardwickii, but readily distinguished 

 by the following characters : — 



