290 ACANTHOPTERTGn. 



specimens. Pm— first dorsal spines weak, the fiftli slightly the longest, the first as high as the second 

 dorsal, the last ray of which is as long as the head. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout : ventral 

 extends beyond the vent. ScaJes— ctenoid, 18 to 20 rows between orbit and base of dorsal fin : none on cheeks : 

 some on opercle, much smaller than those on the rest of the body, where they are angular. Colours— these 

 vary, generally grayish-brown, with some large irregular blotches along the sides, And a slight brownish line 

 along the centre of each row of scales: under • surface of cheeks and jaws lineated with circnitoua 

 brownish lines. Dorsal fin generally yellowish, with a grayish tinge, and having several irregular whitish fines 

 along its lower half, and usually also a black blotch with a white edge between its fifth and sixth spines : 

 second dorsal with several rows of irregular white spots : pectoral, ventral, and anal grayish, the last vfith some 

 white dots : caudal dark gray, with some lines of dark spots. 



Habitat.'-Coa.sts of India as high as Sind, and to the Malay Archipelago. Genus GlossogoUus, Bleeker 

 MSS. 



16. Gobius Madraspatensis, Plate LXn, fig. 3. 



Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 152. 



B. V, D. 6 I i P. 17, V. 1/4, A. i, C. 13, L. 1. 28-29, L. tr. 7. 



Length of head 5 to 5J, caudal 5 J to 6, height of body 4 to 4^ in the total length. JEye^—iheir upper 

 margin near the profile, diameter 1/4 of length of head, 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, 1/4 of a diameter 

 apart. Width of head equals its postorbital length : height of head equals its length without the snout. Some 

 rows of warts across the cheeks : two open glands in the interorbital space. Cleft of mouth oblique, commencing 

 opposite the upper third of the eye, the lower jaw the longer, the maxilla extending to beneath the anterior 

 margin of the orbit. Teeth — vUliform in both jaws, with an outer enlarged row in the upper, and about 

 14 enlarged ones anteriorly in the lower jaw, endmg in a large external recurved canine. Fins — dorsal spines 

 flexible, the first with a filamentous termination, the fin ending near the commencement of the second dorsal which 

 is rather the highest. Pectoral as long as the head, and of equal length to the ventrals. Anal commences below 

 second or third dorsal ray. Caudal rounded. Scales — ctenoid, they extend forwards to nearly as far as the 

 posterior margin of the orbit, and are smaller on the nape than on the remainder of the body : none on the 

 head, about 12 rows anterior to the base of the dorsal fin : seven rows between the origin of the second dorsal 

 and anal. Colours — oHvaceous, with irregular, ill defined brownish blotches and dots. From five to eight veiy 

 narrow vertical black lines pass from the back to the abdomen, commencing opposite the base of the ventrals 

 and terminating about the middle of the anal. Pins grayish, first dorsal with two rows of black blotches, and 

 sometimes a black blotch covering one-third of the membrane between the fifth and sixth spines, which may 

 be continued to the end of the fin : second dorsal irregularly blotched and dotted. Pectoral and anal unspotted. 

 Ventrals tipped with black. Caudal minutely dotted in rows. 



Habitat. — Madras backwaters, up to about 3 inches in length. Gfenus Acentrogohiris, Bleeker MSS. 



17. Gobius Neim, Plate LXn, fig. 4. 

 Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 152. 

 B. V, D. 6 I 1, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. 9, C. 13, L. 1. 28, L. tr. 7. 



Length of head 2/7, of caudal 1/5, height of body 1/4 of the total length. Eyes — directed upwards and 

 slightly outwards, diameter 2/7 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and less than 1/6 of a diameter 

 apart. Head as broad as high, equalling its length behind the middle of the eye. Cheeks swollen. No warts 

 or barbels but an open pore in front of the interorbital space and another at the posterior inferior angle of the 

 eye : cleft of mouth very oblique, commencing opposite the upper third of the eye : the posterior extremity of the 

 maxilla extends to beneath the anterior third of the orbit. Teeth — in two or three rows in either jaw, an outer 

 row of enlarged ones anteriorly irj the upper, and a much larger outer series of twelve or fourteen in the lower 

 jaw, the external of which on either side is a large recurved canine. Fins — ^first dorsal spines flexible and 

 prolonged, the termination of the second in the adult being filamentous. Pectoral as long as the head : ventrals 

 reach the anal : caudal somewhat pointed. Scales — ^in regular rows, ctenoid, anteriorly they extend (in about 

 12 rows, the first eight of which are small), three-fourths of the distance from the first dorsal to the orbits : seven 

 rows between the bases of the second dorsal and anal : none on the head, gill-opening extending inferiorly to 

 rather below the base of the pectoral fin. CoZowrs —superiorly ochreous, becoming dirty white on the abdomen, 

 cheeks, head, and upper two-thirds of the body being blotched over with various sized rusty brown dots of 

 irregular shape, forming oblique bands on the head. Pectoral and ventrals unspotted. First dorsal with a 

 black mark between its first and fifth spine to about half the height of the fin, above this it is yeUow, the ends 

 of the spine black, last two spines brown spotted. Second dorsal brown externally, with a longitudinal yellow 

 and black band dividing it from the lower three-fourths of the fin which is spotted with light brown : caudal 

 barred with eight or nine chestnut spots. 



jffaftitoi.— Madras, up to 31 inches in length. Genus AcentrogoUus, Bleeker MSS. 



18. Gobius melanosticta, 'Plate LXIII, fig. 2. 

 B. V, D. 6 I jl^, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. 9, C. 13, L. 1. 24, L. tr. 7. 



Length of head 5 to 5i of caudal 41, height of body 4i in the total length, ^wes— diameter 1/3 of 

 length of head, 1/2 diameter from end of snout, and 1/3 apart. Greatest width of head equals its height, or its 



