LOPHOBHANCHII. 15 



Descr. — Dr. Cantor obtained two specimens from Penang. 

 It is a very common species in China, whence examples have 

 been sent to the Museums of London, Paris, Vienna, and Leyden. 

 A female preserved in the French Museum in spirits was pro- 

 cured at Macao on the voyage of the Bonite. Out of the great 

 number of individuals of this species which I have examined, not 

 one of them had attained the size of H. longirostris. The big- 

 gest measured scarcely 6^ inches. 



The snout is pretty long. The edges of the orbits are con- 

 fluent over the nostrils without forming a distinct projection. A 

 regularly formed coronet, scarcely separated from the occiput, 

 shows five or six spinules. From the coronet to the curved 

 pectoral spine, the height is as great as the snout is long, mea- 

 suring from between the eyes. A pale yellow ground-colour 

 shows traces of broad bands on the body and tail. Some have 

 on the 2nd, 4th and 7th body-rings, near their dorsal border, 

 three pairs of black round spots (H. sexmaculatus, Schlegel, 

 Leyden). Others have circles round the eyes of black specks, and 

 a black stripe descending from the orbital spine through the eye ; 

 the membranous angle of the belly is black. In the Museums 

 of London, Paris, Leyden, Vienna, Darmstadt, &c. 



13. Hippocampus marginalis, Heck. 



Diagn. — Dorsal fin standing on the last three of the twelve 

 body-rings. 



Descr. — This species is allied to H. fascicularis, but the 

 diagnostic character distinguishes it. It has a somewhat shorter 

 snout than H. fascicularis. White spots besprinkle the head and 

 snout, and the gill-plates are crossed by curved black lines. 

 Longitudinal black stripes run on the body to the 7th ring, and 

 black cross lines succeed them from the 8th to the 12th rings. 

 Irregular interrupted black lines traverse the belly lengthwise. 

 The height of the body where greatest is equal to the distance 

 between the coronet and the end of the snout. All the angles 

 of the rings are more developed and prominent than in H. lon- 

 girostris. 



A single female Mexican specimen, deposited in the Vienna 

 Museum, is the only example known to me. 



14. Hippocampus fascicularis, Heck. 



Diagn. — A snout longer than that of H. brevirostris, with 

 more acute nasal projections ; and the dorsal not standing 

 on so high an elevation. 



