18G8.] LIEUT.-COL. PLAYFAIR ON FISHES FROM MADAGASCAR. 11 



Cheeks swollen, with five or six longitudinal lines of minute pores. 

 Head entirely naked, with the exception of a few small scales on the 

 superior portion of the operculum. Teeth in jaws in villiform bands, 

 with an inner series of larger ones, and an outer row of canines. 

 First dorsal lower than body ; the spine and all the rays flexible ; 

 the first and second rays somewhat produced. Longest ray of second 

 dorsal (the last) shorter than the first of the anterior dorsal. Caudal 

 rounded, rather longer than the length of head to posterior limb of 

 praeoperculum. Anal with the rays very much branched. None 

 of the pectoral rays silk-like. Scales largest on the sides of body 

 and tail, smallest on the belly and nape and around the root of pec- 

 torals, each is imbedded in a membranous base. Colour uniform 

 brown ; a black spot, smaller than the eye, at the base of the ante- 

 rior dorsal, between the spine and the first ray ; both dorsals with 

 more or less distinct longitudinal rows of darker spots ; ventrals and 

 anal minutely punctulated with brown. Length 15| inches. Two 

 specimens were obtained. 

 Hab. Mouroundava River. 



13. Periophthalmus kcelreuteri, C. & V. 



The most interesting specimen in this collection is a new species 

 of Xiphogadus. Unfortunately it is in a very bad state of preserva- 

 tion, having been partially digested in the stomach of another fish. 

 Half of the lower jaw is wanting, and the ventral region is so much 

 destroyed that it is impossible to ascertain the nature of the ventral 

 fins ; the other organs, however, are tolerably perfect. 



14. Xiphogadus madagascariensis, sp. n. 

 D. 122. A. 96? 



Body exceedingly elongate, the greatest height is contained fifty- 

 four times in the total length, and the length of the head seventeen 

 times in the same. Snout obtusely conical, shorter than the dia- 

 meter of the eye, projecting beyond the cleft of the mouth. Ten- 

 tacles none. Width of interorbital space rather more than half the 

 diameter of the eye. Upper jaw with rather feeble canines, those in 

 the lower jaw somewhat stronger. Dorsal commencing above the 

 anterior margin of orbit and extending almost as far as the caudal 

 fin ; the anterior rays are longest, the first being thrice and a half 

 the height of the body. The anal appears to commence below the 

 twenty-seventh dorsal ray ; it is lower than the dorsal, and extends 

 slightly behind it. Caudal short, not much longer than the height 

 of the body. Colour uniform bx'owu. Length llg inches. 



Hah. Mouroundava River. 



\t). MUGIL SMITHII. 



Mugil microlepis, Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Pise, pi, 28. f. 2 (not 

 Riipp, or Bleek.). 



M. smithii, Giinth. Fish. iii. p. 447. 



Hab. Mouroundava River, on the west coast of Madagascar ; 



