﻿30 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  S3nignathus 
  trachypoma. 
  

   D. 
  21. 
  Osseous 
  rings 
  18 
  + 
  33. 
  

  

  Allied 
  to 
  S. 
  grayi. 
  Base 
  of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  elevated. 
  The 
  length 
  of 
  

   the 
  snout 
  is 
  two 
  fifths 
  of 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  its 
  upper 
  surface 
  is 
  armed 
  

   with 
  several 
  spines 
  ; 
  forehead 
  high, 
  abruptl)^ 
  descending 
  towards 
  

   the 
  snout. 
  Eyes 
  large, 
  with 
  broad 
  prominent 
  supraciliaries 
  which 
  

   bear 
  several 
  dentieulations 
  ou 
  their 
  edges 
  ; 
  the 
  space 
  between 
  the 
  

   eyes 
  is 
  very 
  broad 
  and 
  deeply 
  concave. 
  Occiput 
  high, 
  with 
  large 
  

   tubercles, 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  arranged 
  in 
  a 
  longitudinal 
  crest. 
  

   Operculum 
  with 
  radiating 
  stria?, 
  the 
  upper 
  and 
  strongest 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  

   bent 
  upwards. 
  Humerus 
  raised 
  into 
  a 
  high 
  prominence 
  which, 
  like 
  

   all 
  the 
  surrounding 
  scutes, 
  is 
  deeply 
  pitted. 
  Body 
  not 
  deeper 
  than 
  

   broad 
  ; 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  scutes 
  prominent 
  and 
  strongly 
  serrated. 
  Tail 
  

   not 
  much 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  body 
  including 
  the 
  head. 
  Vent 
  below 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  fin, 
  which 
  stands 
  on 
  four 
  rings. 
  Caudal 
  fin 
  

   small. 
  The 
  prominent 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  the 
  upperside 
  of 
  the 
  

   body 
  and 
  tail, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  also 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  trunk 
  are 
  provided 
  

   with 
  lacerated 
  tentacles. 
  No 
  well-defined 
  markings 
  can 
  be 
  distin- 
  

   guished, 
  the 
  coloration 
  consisting 
  of 
  marbling 
  of 
  brown 
  with 
  

   mother-of-pearl 
  patches. 
  The 
  tentacles 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  colour 
  as 
  

   the 
  body. 
  

  

  One 
  specimen 
  was 
  obtained 
  at 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  two 
  others 
  at 
  

   Prince 
  of 
  Wales 
  Island. 
  The 
  dimensions 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  are 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Total 
  length 
  50 
  lines. 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  tail 
  29 
  ,, 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  head 
  7 
  ,, 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  snout 
  2| 
  „ 
  

  

  Doryichthys 
  serialis. 
  (Plate 
  III. 
  fig. 
  B.) 
  

   D. 
  21. 
  Osseous 
  rings 
  14-}- 
  20. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  short 
  species 
  with 
  a 
  compressed 
  body 
  and 
  short 
  tail. 
  

   The 
  ridges 
  are 
  distinct, 
  but 
  slightly 
  spinous 
  on 
  the 
  tail 
  only. 
  

   Lateral 
  line 
  uninterrupted, 
  passing 
  into 
  the 
  lower 
  ridge 
  of 
  the 
  tail. 
  

   Snout 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  head, 
  straight 
  ; 
  eye 
  of 
  moderate 
  

   size 
  ; 
  interorbital 
  space 
  narrow. 
  Head 
  half 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  trunk 
  ; 
  

   bones 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  pitted 
  and 
  irregularly 
  sculptured. 
  Operculum 
  

   with 
  a 
  very 
  distinct 
  straight 
  ridge 
  along 
  its 
  middle. 
  Vent 
  midway 
  

   between 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  gill-cover 
  and 
  the 
  root 
  of 
  the 
  caudal, 
  and 
  

   behind 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  fin. 
  Dorsal 
  fin 
  standing 
  on 
  six 
  rings, 
  

   four 
  of 
  which 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  trunk. 
  Caudal 
  very 
  short. 
  Each 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  body 
  is 
  ornamented 
  by 
  two 
  series 
  of 
  black 
  dots, 
  one 
  series 
  

   being 
  above 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  below 
  the 
  lateral 
  line 
  ; 
  one 
  pair 
  of 
  dots 
  

   corresponds 
  to 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  rings. 
  Some 
  other 
  inconstant 
  black 
  dots 
  

   are 
  scattered 
  about 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  series 
  ; 
  a 
  black 
  band 
  runs 
  

   through 
  the 
  eye 
  from 
  the 
  upper 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  operculum 
  along 
  each 
  

   side 
  of 
  tho 
  snout. 
  

  

  