40 



LOPHOBRANCHII. 



Rod.— P. 12 ; D. 33 ; A. 3 ; C. 10. 



I could not have recognized this species from Risso's descrip- 

 tion, which is by no means accurate; but I must conclude that 

 the French savants have compared that description with Risso's 

 specimens still existing in his collection. 



12. Syngnathus Muraena, Kp. (Brit. Mus.) 



Syngnathus obsoletus, Paris Mus. 

 Typhlus obsoletus, Bibron, MSS. 



Diagn. — Length of the snout from the fore-border of the 

 orbit as long as the distance between the posterior border 

 and the extreme edge of the gill-cover ; 16' rings before the 

 dorsal fin, which stands upon 5 caudal rings. 



Descr. — A small, dark-coloured species. It is greyish-brown, 

 marbled with black. The gill-cover lineated and speckled. The 

 head shagreened and destitute of a crest and of any elevation of 

 the hind-head, or having merely a trace thereof. Hind-head 

 and nuchal shield feebly "keeled. 36 caudal rings, 18 rings be- 

 longing to the egg-pouch. No interruption at the confluence of 

 the lateral line with the edge of the tail. All the scales of the 

 rings are rough in proportion to the size of the species. 



A large male has the body I '89 inch long, the back fin 0-51 

 inch, the egg-pouch 169 inch, and the tad 3'07 inches long. 



Rod.— P. 12; D. 28; A. 3; C. 9. 



The British Museum possesses a great number of specimens 

 obtained on the north coast of Africa, and four males exist in 

 the Paris collection. 



13. Syngnathus Rousseau, Kp. 



Diagn. — Lateral line interrupted above the anal ring. Of the 

 7 rings on which the dorsal stands, two are body-rings. 

 Each ring is interrupted by a short marginal spine. There 

 are 14 rings before the dorsal fin, and 16 body-rings, in- 

 cluding the anal one, with 34 caudal rings. 



Descr. — A male transmitted to the Parisian collection from 

 Martinique by Alexander Rousseau, is unfortunately not in good 

 condition, and of its pectoral and dorsal fins there are merely 

 traces remaining. The moderately developed caudal fin has, as 

 usual, 10 rays. Measured from the front of the orbit, the 

 snout has a length equal to the distance from the same place to 

 the edge of the gill-cover. 



