402 Mr. C. C. Bablngton on Statice Dodartii and S. occidentalis. 



root of the pectoral and the posterior margin of the eye. Uni- 

 form brown. 



This is another new species from the Cape Seas, closely allied 

 to E. albescens, from which it differs by its narrower mouth, its 

 shorter ventral fin, and also by the smaller number of the la- 

 minae of the disk. To which of the two species the figure given 

 by Dampier (Voyage to New Holland, i. pi. 1. fig. 6) ought to 

 be referred is a question that cannot be decided. 



In conclusion, I give a synoptical review of the species 

 enumerated* : — 



a. Species with a stout and rather short body. 



No. of laminae. 



1. E. chjpeata, Gthr 12 



2. E. albescens, Schleg 13 



3. E. squalipeta, Daldorf .... 17 



4. E. brachyptera, Lowe .... 15-16 



E. remora, L 17-18 



6. E. osteochir, Cuv 19 



7. E. scutata, Gthr 27 



/3. Species with a slender body. 



8. E. liiieata, Menzies 10 



9. E. Holbrookii, Gthr 21 



10. E. naucrates, L. . ... . . . 22-25 



XLIH. — Note concerning Statice Dodartii and S. occidentalis. 

 By C. C. Babington. 



In the year 1849 I published a paper in these 'Annals^ (ser. 2. 

 iii. 433) " On the British Phmibaginacese," pointing out that 

 the plant erroneously called S. spathulata or S. cordata in this 

 country is the S. occidentalis (Lloyd). I also endeavoured to 

 show that the S. Dodartii (Gir.) inhabited our western coasts. 

 At that time, and until very recently, I had not seen an au- 



* While this paper was passing through the press, my attention was 

 called to the announcement of one on the same subject by M. Dumeril 

 (Compt. Rend. 1858, p. ^374), in which he enumerates forty-six species 

 wiiich are to be described by him. He does not appear to be aware 

 of the variability of the number of the laminae and fin-rays, nor of the vari- 

 ation of the form of the caudal fin. He states that he has examined 161 spe- 

 cimens, — a number scarcely exceeding that examined by myself, the British 

 ]\Iuseum alone possessing 130 specimens. The difference in the treatment 

 of the subject, therefore, is so great, that there is no reason to hold back 

 tills pajjcr on account of that advertisement, — the less as, perhaps, M. Du- 

 meril may obtain from it some information that may prove useful to him. 



