388 Messrs. Playfair and Letourneux on the 



in the same. Diameter of eye about \ of the length of the 

 head ; it is greater than the length of the snout or interorbital 

 space. Cleft of mouth oblique ; maxillary extends beyond the 

 anterior margin of eye ; teeth very minute on the jaws, none 

 on the vomer or palatine bones. Depth of extremity of tail 

 rather less than diameter of eye. Distance from extremity of 

 second dorsal to root of caudal less than length of head. 

 From fifty-five to sixty series of scales from occiput to base 

 of caudal ; forty-eight only from superior angle of operculum. 



A longitudinal silvery band on the fifth series of scales. 

 Upper part of body minutely punctulated with black, gene- 

 rally with larger black spots scattered irregularly over the body. 



Length 6 centimetres. 



Hah. Streams and ditches of the Metidja ; Maison Cari'ee, 

 Mazafran, Oued-el-Alleng. 'i Nice. 



6. Mugil cepJialuSj Cuv. 



Hab. Rivers of Algeria. Fresliwater lakes of Tunis^ Nile, 

 Mediterranean, coast of Madeira, West Coast of Africa. 



7. Mugil capita, Cuv. 



Hab. River Bondjemat, near B6ne ; Lake Bou-Kamira. 

 Lakes of Tunis, Nile, coasts of Europe, Cape of Good Hope. 



8. Gasterosteus hrachycentrus. 



Gasterosteus hrachycentrus, Cuv. & Val. iv. p. 499, pi. 98. f. 2; Giinth. 

 Fish. i. p. 5. 



D-l|lll2^; A.^io; P. 10; V.l/L 



Differing from G. argyropomus, Cuv. & Val., in having 

 shorter dorsal spines, the length of which is about \ of 

 the height of the body. There is sometimes the rudiment of 

 a third dorsal spine concealed in the skin. The ventral 

 cuirass reaches to the superior edge of the pectoral fins. From 

 to 4 scaly plates on the sides of the body above that fin ; 

 the rest of the body naked. Li the adult the ventral spine 

 does not reach much beyond the middle of the distance from 

 its base to the extremity of the pubic bone. 



These fish are minutely punctulated with black to a greater 

 or less degree ; and some have large black blotches, which are 

 most numerous on the ventral fins. 



Length 2 inches. 



Hah. Ditches in the Metidja. Itcdy. 



Since this description was written we have had the oppor- 

 tunity of perusing the latest paper published by M. Paul 



