LOPIIOHRAXCIIII. 53 



less tail that it comes nigh Nerophis. As yet only two specie! 

 arc known. 



1. Stigmatophora Argus, Kp. 



Syngnathus argus, Richardson, Voy. of Ereb. cy Terror, tyc. 



Dingn. — A great number of round black dots on the dorsal 

 aspect. 



Descr. — Snout measured from the fore border of the orbits 

 twice as long as the distance from thence to the extremity of the 

 gill-cover. Body, including the breast-ring, composed of 21 

 rings. The long dorsal tin begins with the 12th ring and ends 

 with the 30th, ten of its rings belonging to the body. The anus 

 is under the 19th. An old female specimen having a length of 

 8'27 inches, has a head 3"23 inches long, a snout 087 inch long, 

 a tail of 4-65 inches, and a dorsal fin 181 inch long. A small 

 male exhibits an egg-pouch 1*26 inch long, striped with black. 

 The colour is brownish olive-green, with black edges to the tail. 

 The under surface of the body and tad is dusky yellow, with a 

 great many elevated lines on each scale. 

 ' Rad.—P. 16; D. 52; A. 3; CO. 



A specimen obtained by Mr. Stanley in New Guinea exists 

 in the British Museum ; and there are eight in the Paris Museum 

 procured by M. Verreaux in Tasmania. 



2. Stigmatophora nigra, Kp. 



Diagn. — The snout measured from the nostrils as long as the 

 distance from thence to the base of the pectoral fin. Dorsal 

 fin attached to the 5th and succeeding rings up to the 22nd 

 inclusive, eleven of the rings belonging to the body, and 

 the anus being under the 16th. 



Descr. — Snout shorter than that of Argus, and not twice the 

 length of the head. It is slender, with an elevated mouth. A 

 furrow runs from the nostril to the mouth, and the dorsal sur- 

 face of the snout is keeled. From the slightly projecting orbit 

 a prominent line runs as far as the nostril. A roundish-oval 

 occipital shield sends a long tongue-shaped projection between 

 the orbits, and a fine prominent line extends from each orbit to 

 the hind-head. A prominent line divides the gill-cover into two 

 unequal parts, of which the upper one is the smaller and is dark- 

 coloured. Both the occiput and gill-cover are finely shagreened. 

 Traces of keels exist in the middle of the elongated pectoral 



