PIPE-FISHES. 679 



anterior dorsal, close together, seven-rayed ; they are fi'ee in the 

 male, but in the female their inner side coalesces with the in- 

 teguments of the body, a large pouch for the reception of the 

 eggs being formed thereby. Air-bladder and pseudobranchise 

 absent. Branchiostegals four, very thin. Intestinal tract very 

 simple, with a stomachic dilatation, without pyloric appendages. 

 Ova very small. 



The dermal skeleton of this singular type is formed by 

 star-like ossifications, four in each horizontal and vertical 

 series on the side of the fore part of the trunk ; each consists 

 of four or three radiating branches by vrhich it joins the 

 neighbouring bones ; on the hind part of the trunk and tail 

 the series are diminished to two. The dorsal and abdominal 

 profiles in front of the fins are protected by similar bones. 

 The vertebral column is composed of eighteen abdominal and 

 fifteen caudal vertebrte, the vertebrae gradually decreasing in 

 length backwards, so that the shortness of the tail is caused 

 not only by the smaller number of vertebras, but also by 

 their much lesser length. Neural and hamal spines are 

 developed. The pelvis consists of two pairs of cartilaginous 

 lamince, the convex margin of the anterior fitting into an 

 angle of a dermal bone wdiich separates the pelvis from the 

 well-ossified humeral arch. 



The singular provision for the retention and protection 

 of the eggs has been described above (p. 162, figs. 73 and 74), 

 and we have only to repeat here that it is the female which 

 takes care of the progeny, and not the male as in the follow- 

 ing family. Two or three small species are known from the 

 Indian Ocean; they are beautifully marked, especially the 

 male, which also appears to be of smaller size in this genus 

 than the female. 



Second Family — Syngnathid^. 



Gill-openings reduced to a very small ojjening near the 

 upper posterior angle of the gill-cover. One soft dorsal fin ; no 



