Miscellaneous. 79 



of the plaits and spines (some are even quite smooth), but also in 

 the depth of the notch of the hinder part of the outer lip. 



The named species of Latiaxis, Faumts, and Melanatria are not 

 even local varieties. A series of specimens from the same locality 

 show the variations in the surface on which these dealers' species 

 are professed to be distinguished, which should be treated as the 

 names given to flowers by nurserymen and florists are by the botanist, 

 as they are scarcely worthy the attention of the scientific conchologist. 

 The effect of this useless multiplication of names has been to almost 

 entirely prevent conchology being studied as a science. 



Descriptions of new Fishes. By F. Steindachner. 



1 . Plecostomus Wertheimeri. — Marginal scutes of the sides of the 

 head closely beset with long bristle-like spines ; a row of broad 

 transverse plates on each side of the belly between the pectoral and 

 ventral ; head adorned with black spots, body with yellow spots. 

 From the river Mucuri in Brazil. 



2. Cottus Brandtii. — Head parabolic ; skin of body scaleless ; prse- 

 operculum with three spines, of which the uppermost is the longest; 

 mouth-cleft oval, longer than broad ; vomer with teeth ; upper sur- 

 face of head closely set with round warts. D. 9/13 ; A. 11 ; V. 3 ; 

 P. 17. From the mouth of the Amur. 



3. Amblyopus Sieboldi. — Length of head contained 9 times in 

 the total length, or 7h times in the length of the body ; greatest 

 depth -jig^ of the total length ; caudal pointed, long, ^ of the total 

 length. D. 6/48-49 ; A. 44 ; C. 17. Mouth of the Amur. 



4. Pseudorhombus adspersus. — Length of head contained 3f times, 

 depth of body 2| in the total length ; diameter of eye \ of the 

 length of the head ; numerous black points, spots, and rings on the 

 whole body. D. 72 ; A. 58 ; P. 12 ; V. 5 ; L. lat. 104. From the 

 Chinchas Islands. 



5. Scopelus spinosus. — Scales of body toothed; along spine on 

 the lower extremity of each scale of the last longitudinal series but 

 one above the anal, which is longer than the dorsal ; diameter of the 

 eye i the length of the head. D. 14 ; A. 20 ; V. 9 ; L. lat. 40 ; 



L. transv. i . From China. 



5i(4i) 



6. Genus Tceniolabrus. — Body rather compressed, much elon- 

 gated, of very small depth, covered with cycloid scales ; head scale- 

 less ; ventral fins articulated a little before the pectorals*; teeth in 

 interraaxillaries and lower jaw uniserial, pointed, the foremost the 

 longest ; vomer and palatal bone with teeth ; dorsal and anal fins 

 very long ; lateral line not interrupted. 



7. TcBniolabriis Jilamentosus. — Head pointed, i of the total length; 

 lower jaw protruding ; eyes approximated ; depth of body yL. of the 



* In the original the author contrasts " Bauchflossen" with " Ventra- 

 len," which are identical ; the above is probably his meaning. 



