Gonius. 33 



IcMij^th of head 3 to 3^ times. Head nearly twice as long as broad, 

 naked; snout obtuse, very convex, a little shorter than eye, wliich is 3.| 

 times in length of head and double interorbital width ; jaws equal 

 in front; mouth extending to below anterior border of eye ; teetli in 

 rather broad bands, outer enlarged. J)orsals A'l, I 7, narrowly separated 

 from each other, longest rays I length of head. Anal I 7, ojiposite to 

 second dorsal. Tectoral a little shorter tluxn head, witii silk-like ujiper 

 rays. Ventral not reaching vent. Caudal rounded, a little shorter than 

 head. Caudal peduncle twice as long as deep. Scales 30 in longitudinal 

 series, S-9 in transverse series between dorsal and anal. Olive above, 

 greenish pink beneath; head with five purplish-black narrow cross-bars ; 

 numerous irregular brown spots on the sides; first dorsal with two 

 narrow purplish-black bars; second dorsal and caudal with black spots. 



Total length 33 raillim. 



Sambirano River, N.W. Madagascar. — Types believed to be Icjst. 



1.3. GOBIUS SOPOHATOK*. 

 C'liv. it Val. Ili.st. I'oiss. xii. p. 56 (1837) ; fJiintli, Cat. Fisli. iii. j,. 2t') (1861) ; 

 Steind, Notes Leyd. Mils. xvi. 1894, p. 21). 



Body feebly compressed ; depth of body 4 to 4f times in total length, 

 length of head 3 to 3^ times. Head 1| to 1^ times as long as broad, 

 naked ; snout rounded, as long as or slightly longer than eye, which is 

 4 to 41 times in length of head ; interorbital space very narrow; mouth 

 terminal, extending to below anterior third or fourth of eye; teetli 

 in a narrow villiform band, outer enlarged. Dorsals \l, I 9, narrowly 

 separated from each other, longest rays about ^ length of head. Anal 

 1 8, its origin a little behind that of second dorsal. Pectoral f to | 

 length of head, upper rays filiform, silk-like, free. Ventral not extending 

 to vent, with a broad basal membrane, each side of which is pointed 

 and produced. Caudal rounded, a little shorter than head. Caudal 

 peduncle 1^ to l-^ times as long as deep. Scales ciliated, 30-4.3 iu 

 longitudinal series, J4-1G in transverse series between dorsal and anal. 

 Brown, with darker streaks along the series of scales and with iireguhir 

 dark blotches or with dark cross-bands ; fins brown, dorsal and caudal 

 with small darker spots. 



* The luvseut descriptiou is based exdii.sivclv on Aliican speciinoiis.— TLu Aiiariiaii 

 synonymy has not been worked out. 



VOL. IV. y 



