90 



orbital space, which is flat but becomes deeply concave with 

 age. A pair of lateral ridges, also slightly serrated, reach the 

 prominent orbital borders and are continued to the occiput. 

 Operculum with a rectilinear keel in its anterior third, where- 

 of radiate low but conspicuous ridges, especially numerous in 

 the lower half of the operculum and which form a network. 

 Trunk twice to nearly 2'/., times in tail. Eggpouch extending 

 from last trunkring or 23rd or 25th tailring, its length more 

 or less than i-'., in tail. Base of dorsal not elevated, its length 

 equal to or somewhat more or less than length of head. 

 Caudal about twice longer than eye. Brown with darker trans- 

 verse bands comprising 3 to 4 rings, which are separated by 

 2 rings of lighter colour and equal to the groundcolour. Length 

 of indo-australian specimens 395 mm. 



Habitat: Fulu Weh near Sumatra ') ! ; Java (Palabuan ratu !) ; 

 Java Sea ') !. — Reunion, Bourbon, Madagascar (.^), Zanzibar, Cape 

 of Good Hope, Madeira, Eastern parts of Atlantic, Mediterranean. 



Note. We have compared the specimens of 5^. acus from 

 the Archipelago, after which our description is made, with 

 specimens from Holland and are not able to distinguish them. 



13. Ichthyocampus Kaup. 



(Kaip, Cat. Lophobr. Fish, 1856, p. 29). 



Medium sized or small and rather stout. Shields sculptured ; 

 the edges more or less prominent, smooth or some of them 

 slightly crenulated or even dentated ; there may be split cuta- 

 neous appendages. Intermedial shields (scutella) present as also 

 a praenuchal and a nuchal shield. Head only slightly elongated. 

 Snout short, somewhat compressed ; its dorsal profile with a 

 median shiarp or low ridge. Operculum much higher than long, 



i) These specimens are authentical from the said localities; two of the 

 specimens from Java in the Leiden Museum were collected by Kuhl ^: van Hasselt 

 and are named on their label Syngnathus variegatus K. v. H., a name previously 

 (181 1) used by Pallas for specimens of 5. acus L. from the Black Sea. The other speci- 

 mens from Java Sea and Pulu Weh were recently coUectedby Dr. P. Buitendijk, 

 that from Palabuan ratu, South coast of Java by Major Ouwens. The Amsterdam 

 Museum contains some specimens of the same species given by van der Hugt 

 and said to be collected in the Moluccos. They agree in every detail with the 

 above description, but we are not quite sure about the locality, as we are not 

 free of the suspicion, that VAN der Hugt collected also on his homeward voyage 

 round the Cape of Good Hope, as often happened in his time. 



