274 Mr. J. Y. Johnson on rare and little-known 



structure of the skull and the position of the teeth are those of 

 a true Crocodile. 



Mecistops cataphractus. 



Crocodilus cataphractus, Cuvier, Oss. Foss. v. t. 5. f. 1, 2; Dum. & Bib. 



E. G. hi. 126 (younger) [copied A. Dum. Arch, du Mus. x. t. 14. f. 2] ; 



Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1834, 110. 

 C. leptorhynchus, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1835, 129; A. Dum. Arch, du 



Mus. v. 252 &i. 171. 1. 14. f. 1. 

 M. cataphractus, Gray, Cat. B.M. 58. 

 M. Bennettii, Gray, Cat. B.M. 57. 



Hab. West and Central Africa. Fernando Po {Bennett) ; 

 Gaboon; Lagos; Central Africa (Baikie). 



I think there can be no doubt that the Crocodilus cataphractus ; 

 figured by Cuvier from a specimen in the College of Surgeons, 

 and the C. leptorhynchus of Bennett are one species, the differ- 

 ence in the length of the beak (in the figure) and in the form of 

 the nuchal disk being derived from the state and age of the 

 specimen. 



XXVII. — Notes on rare and little-known Fishes taken at Madeira. 

 By James Yate Johnson, Cor. Mem. Z. S. 



No. II. 



Order ANACANTHINI, Mull. 



Suborder Thoracici. 



Earn. Gadidae. 



Phycis blennoides, Bl., Schn. 



Blennius gadoides, Risso. 



IstD. 9. 2nd D. 58. P. 17. V. 1. A. 53. C. in. 18. in. 

 M.B. 7. Scales of lat. line about 100. 



Body elongate-oblong, much compressed behind, of a brown- 

 ish-grey colour ; the belly pale grey, marbled with dirty white. 



The head is depressed, unarmed, and, compared with the total 

 length, is as 1 to 4^. Gill-openings large; the gill-covers, 

 which are black inside, are small, and leave much of the branchio- 

 stegal membrane exposed. The scaly cheeks are slightly convex, 

 and the skin covers and conceals the preopercle. The opercle 

 is without a notch, and it terminates behind in a rounded pro- 

 jection. The snout is shoi't, rounded, and covered with small 

 scales ; there are also scales on the mandible, but none on the 

 thick cartilaginous lip. There is no coloured skin on the maxil- 

 lary, which fits under the skin behind, and forms no part of the 

 border of the mouth. It reaches back to the vertical from the 

 middle of the eye. The mouth, when open, is nearly circular. 



