26 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Colour during life grayish to sea-green; edges of body with 
indistinct reddish blotches. Small round dark blue dots, becoming 
brown in spirit, ventrally along the middle lateral edges of trunk. 
Living between the weeds of a Zostera, sp., the leaves of which 
equal in breadth that of the animal, attached to their stems by 
means of the prehensile tail, the head erect, and therefore not 
easily visible. The decaying leaves of the Zostera are covered with 
small mucous gray alge, which are strikingly similar to the cuta- 
neous appendages of the fish. Slowly and clumsily swimming. 
Distribution.—From East Africa to Polynesia. In the Colombo 
Museum there are several specimens, without details of locality. 
Sinhalese name.—Moralla (Colombo). 
Microphis, mihi. 
Brood organ of male abdominal, not covered by cutaneous folds, 
laterally protected by plates which correspond to the lower lateral 
edges of trunk and are ventrally divergent. Eggs small, numerous, 
isolated in open cutaneous cells, Upper as well as lower lateral 
edges of trunk and tail discontinuous ; middle lateral edges of trunk 
continuous with lower ones of tail; keels of the several rings 
terminating in a free spine posteriorly. Scutella and lateral line. 
present ; D, A, C, and P present; A situated behind middle of 
total length. 
2. Microphis brachyurus, Bleeker. Dumeéril, 1870, p. 595. 
Syngnathus brachyurus, Bleeker, 1853, p. 16. 
Doryichthys brachyurus, Giinther, 1870, p. 184. 
Doryichthys Hasselti, Kaup, 1856, p. 57. 
Doryichthys auronitens, Kaup, 1856, p. 59; Giinther, 
1870, p. 182. 
Microphis auronitens, Dumeéril, 1870, p. 597. 
Doryichthys millepunctatus, Kaup, 1856, p. 60; 
Gunther, 1870, p. 183. 
Microphis Bleekeri (Day), Duméril, 1870, p. 599. 
Doryichthys Bleekeri, Giinther, 1870, p. 182; Day, 1878, 
p. 680, Pl. 174, fig. 3; Day, 1889, p. 465. 
Microphis douanii, Duméril, 1870, p. 592. 
Ann. 20-22 plus 21-23; ann. subdors.“1-2 plus 6-8; D 37-438, 
A 3-5, C 9, P 18-23. Operculum longitudinally keeled, with 1-8 
radiating elevated ridges below the keel. Middle ray of C enlarged 
and somewhat elongate. Eggs small, in 4-13 longitudinal and 60- 
110 transverse rows. Total length up to 18:2 em.; mature males 
12:2-16°7 cm. 
Ground colour dark, with numerous fine white dots. Operculum 
sometimes with black spots. Orange coloured and black spots at 
the corners of the mouth. Lower side of rostrum with light dark- 
edged transverse fascize. Caudal fin orange coloured at dorsal and 
