LOl'HOBRANCIIII. 63 



striated, with interstitial oval or sulirliomhoidal plates smooth, 

 anil as if divided by a medial impression. The keels of each 

 shield are slightly retro-serrated, and end in a spine pointing 

 backwards : the ventral keels, however, have either no spine or 

 one much shorter than the others, and the medial ventral keel 

 is so low that the body appears to be hexagonal. In the males 

 the lamina; of the ventral keels from the he.nl down to the vent 

 are open and erect. The anus is placed in the posterior half of 

 the body. The tail, excluding its fin, is longer than the trunk 

 of the body, excluding the liL-ad, and a little shorter than the 

 body and head together. The dorsal fin begins on the 21st 

 body-ring, half of its length being before the anus, ends on the 

 7th or 8th caudal ring, and is lower in height than the body. 

 The anal is small, and the caudal diminutive. Colour of the 

 dorsal aspect of the body shining green, of the ventral aspect 

 yellowish or silvery ; on the sides there is an oblong brownish 

 vertical spot in the middle of each shield. The interstitial 

 laminae are shining and silvery, and there is a black dot at the 

 base of each spine of the lateral keel. Dorsal and pectoral fins 

 dilute green, the caudal blackish and the anal yellowish. 



Rod.— Br. 3; D. 65-68; P. 22, p. m. ; A. 4; CIO? 



This description (quoted from Bleeker) leaves me in no doubt 

 of this species being the type of a genus hitherto undescribed, 

 which must take its place in my subfamily of Doryrhamphince. 



Subfamily 4. NEROPHINJE. 



The eggs, uncovered by membrane, distributed in rows on the 

 breast and belly of the males. 



Genus 1. MICROPHIS, Kp. 



Diagn. — Body heptangular, composed of very rough rings and 

 continuing of equal thickness up to the elongated tail. 

 Five fins. 



Descr. — Buchanan Hamilton, in his description of cuncalus, 

 remarks that " in September the female has the breast and belly 

 covered with eggs, which adhere firmly to the scales." And in 

 his description of deocata (also of this genus) he says, ; ' but 

 when the female carries her eggs the splendid colouring fades, 

 except on riie margins of the belly, which are yellow and ex- 

 panded for the reception of two rows of globular eggs, which 

 hang to the belly until they are hatched." Hamilton was not 

 aware that it is the male and not the female that carries the eggs 



