LOPHOBRANOHII. 67 



length of 2 feet. Body composed of 29 or 30 rings, and the 

 tail of from 68 to 70. The head forms the twelfth or thirteenth 

 part of the whole Length. The female has a rudimentary dorsal 

 I'm and an octangular body, while the male lias a more flat back 

 and belly. Dorsal extended on from 40 to 44 rays, and standing 

 on 12 or 13 rings, of which three belong to the tail. The wide 

 and long anal opening is in the female nearly in the middle of 

 the fish, but in the male it is placed nearer to the head. The 

 eggs are attached to the male in from eight to ten rows. Colour 

 brownish-yellow or beautiful deep yellow, approaching to olive- 

 green on the back, ami crossed on the body by silvery-white 

 bars edged with brown. 



This species has till now been found only on the south-west 

 coast of Scotland, in Ireland, the Isle of Man, at Havre, and in 

 Norway. A female measuring 2001 inches has the head T65 

 inch long, the tail 975 inches, and the dorsal fin 315 inches 

 long. 



4. Nerophis martiniceiisis, Kp. 

 Syngnathus martinicensis, Bibron. 



Diagn. — Snout measured from the front of the orbit as long 

 as the distance, from tbeuce to the extremity of the gill- 

 cover. There are 21 rings before the dorsal fin, and 28 up 

 to the anal ring. The dorsal contains 42 rays, and stands 

 on 1 1 rings, whereof four belong to the body. In the tail 

 there are 64 rings. 



This species resembles aquoreus, but it is uniformly blackish, 

 and has a longer tail. The Paris Museum possesses examples of 

 it through the exertions of M. Plee. 



\- 



5. Nerophis hynienolomus. 



Syngnathus hynienolomus, Richardson, Voy. of Ereb. Sf Terr., 

 Fishes, p. 52. pi. 30. f. 11-13. 



Diagn. — A cutaneous fin extends along the back, belly and 

 tail, leaving only the under part of the tail naked. 



Descr. — Sir John Richardson's excellent description of this 

 very interesting species is here quoted in his own words : — 



" In this Syngnathus, the vent is a very little posterior to the 

 middle, and the body is much compressed, with flatly convex 

 sides, edged on the dorsal and ventral line by broad, thickisb, 

 opake folds of skin, which double its height. The shields by 



