^farine Fishes from South Africa. 129 



is 3^ times in the length of head. Praeorbital ending in 2 

 spines anteriorly ; depth of suborbital equal to diameter of 

 eye ; maxillary extending to below anterior edge of eye ; 

 interorbital space slightly concave, its width | the diameter 

 of eye. Dorsal IX, 19 ; the second spine the longest, ^ the 

 length of head. Anal 18. Pectoral and ventral extending 

 to origin of anal. Caudal very slightly emarginate. About 

 95 scales in a longitudinal series and 27 plates along the 

 bases of the dorsal fins ; scales of the lateral line not enlarged 

 and not spiny. Greyish ; pectoral blackish, except at its 

 upper and lower margins ; other fins immaculate. 



Length to base of caudal 260 mm. 



A single specimen from the coast of Natal, presented to 

 the British Museum by Mr. J. F. Quekett. 



Petalichthys, gen. nov. 



Closely allied to Scomhresox. Body elongate, strongly 

 compressed. Both jaws produced into a long slender beak ; 

 a series of small pointed teeth in each jaw ; palate toothless ; 

 gill-openings very wide ; gill-rakers moderate. Scales 

 small, deciduous ; lateral lines approximated ventrally, 

 ending above the last rays of anal. Dorsal with 18 rays, 

 elevated anteriorly, the posterior rays short, subequal, strongly 

 branched, but not disconnected. Anal with 22 rays, com- 

 mencing in advance of the dorsal and similar to it. Pectoral 

 short, of 11 rays. Ventrals close together, 6-rayed, inserted 

 far back. Caudal forked. 



Petalichthys capensis. 



Depth of body about 15^ times in the lengtli, length of 

 head about 3^ times. Snout, measured from anterior edge of 

 eye to tip of up])er jaw, 2| times as long as rest of head. 

 Lower jaw projecting beyond the upper ; maxillary completely 

 hidden beneath the prseorbital. Diameter of eye greater than 

 interorbital width and ^ the length of postorbital part of head. 

 About 22 gill-rakers on the lower part of anterior arch, the 

 longest ^ the diameter of eye. Length of pectoral nearly 

 equal to depth of body. Origin of ventrals equidistant from 

 posterior part of pectoral and base of caudal. Silvery ; 

 darker above. 



Length to base of caudal 320 mm. 



A single specimen from Port Elizabeth, presented to the 

 British Museum by Mr. Drege. 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 7. Vol. xiv. 9 



