678 LOPHOBRANCHII. 



more tlian Half the lengtli of the head. Interorbital space nearly flat. A low and blunt ridge at the occiput 

 and nape. Opercle covered with fine radiating lines. Vent below middle of the dorsal fin. Body prominent 

 inf eriorly from the sixth to the eleventh body rings. Fms— dorsal low, it commences on the third body ring 

 before the one carrying the vent, it is situated on seven rings, and has its base elevated. Colours— grayish 

 brown, with dark rings : under surface of snout light coloured with dark spots. 



My unique Madras example (figured) has the comparatively thin _ body of S. Oeylonensis, Giinther 

 (example a), but has more osseous rings in the tail. It does not seem improbable that 8. Zamziha/rends, 

 Giinther, may be partly this species, and perhaps example " c. Adult. China. Presented by Vice- Admiral Sir 

 E. Belcher," may be the second example which Kaup stated existed in the British Museum collection. 

 Dumeril ii, p. 619, considers 8. Zmziharensis, Giinther, identical with 8. Ueoarctatm, Bleeker. 



Mabitat. — ? Ceylon, Madras and China. 



3. Syngnathus intermedius, Plate CLXXIII, fig. 6. 



Trachyrham'p'hus intermedms, Kaup, Loph. p. 24 ; Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. ii, p. 538. 



Syngnathus mtermeddus, Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 168. 



D. 28, P. 18, A. 4, C. 9. Osseous rings 24-25 + 48-49. 



Length of head 3J to 4j- in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : the length of the 

 trunk, between the end of the snout and the vent, equals If in the total length. Egg-pouch 2/5 of length of 

 tail. Eyes — diameter 3^ in the length of the snout and situated in the posterior 1/2 of the head. Body 

 deeper than broad. Length of snout 1/2 of that of the head and without any elevated ridge along its upper 

 surface except a projection above the nostrils. Interorbital space slightly concave, owing to the supraorbital 

 ridges being well developed. A low and blunt projection on occiput continued as a sharper ridge along the 

 nape. Opercle with fine radiating lines. Fms—doTsal of moderate height, it commences on the third body 

 ring before the one carrying the vent, it is situated on 6 or 7 rings, having its base elevated. Length of 

 caudal fin equal to 1/2 that of snout. Odours — grayish and banded : dorsal fin spotted. 



Habitat — A pair captured at Madras : they appear to be identical with Syngnathus Oeylonensis, example 

 h. British Museum catalogue, from Zanzibar. 



B. — A bony ridge entirely crossing the opercle. 

 4. Syngnathus spicifer, Plate CLXXIV, fig. 1. 



Eiippell, N. W. Fische, p. 143, t. 33, f . 4 ; Kaup, Lophob. p. 34 ; Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. ii, p. 546 ; 

 Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 172 ; Klunz. Fische Eoth. Meer, 1871 , p. 650. 



Syngnathus djarong, gastrotosnia and SelfricMi, Bleeker, Trosk. p. 22, Wetensch. pp. 22, 29, Bantan, p. 

 325, Ceram, p.I714, Borneo, p. 428 and en. Pise. p. 187 ; Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. ii, pp. 645, 546, 547. 



Syngnathus argyrostictus and biserialis, Kaup, Lophob. p. 33 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 264 ; Dumeril, 1. 

 c. p. 546. 



Miorophis temois, Blyth, Proc. As. Sc. Beng. 1858. p. 272. 



Ba-de or Lah-atha-dah or " Turtles tail," Andamanese. 



D. 23-27, P. 16, A. 2, C. 8. Osseous rings 15-16 -f 39-42. 



Length of head 2|- in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : the length of the trunk 

 from the end of snout to vent 2/5 of the total length. Hyes — nearly 1/6 of the length of the head, 

 3 diameters from end of snout. Gill-cover crossed by a raised longitudinal keel : an elevated ridge along the 

 upper edge of the snout and extending to the nape. Interorbital space concave (due to the upper margin of 

 the orbit being elevated), and which ends posteriorly in a ridge which is continued to the nape. Body 

 compressed, higher than wide : ventral edge very prominent. Length of egg-pouch rather more than 1/2 that 

 of the tail. Fins — the dorsal is situated on the first five rings of the caudal : the anal rays are minute and 

 sometimes imperceptible. Rings with smooth edges, the division between one and the next but little apparent. 

 Oolours — generally light brownish, with a dark brown streak extending from the orbit to the angle of the 

 mouth, and a second from the posterior angle of the eye over the opercle : a few black spots on under surface 

 of the lower jaw : body inferiorly with fine brown bars. Dorsal fin barred with brown spots : caudal blackish 

 with a light brown base. 



Habitat, — Seas, estuaries, and fresh waters of Red Sea, East coast of Africa, India, and the Malay 

 Archipelago : it ascends rivers high above the influence of the tides, even into fresh water. Grows to about 

 5 inches in length. The example figured was from the Andamans. 



5. Syngnathus oyanospilos. 



Bleeker, Ifat. Tyds. ITed, Ind. vi, 1854, Banda, p. 114, and en. Pise. p. 187 ; Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. ii, 

 p. 555 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 170. 



Syngnathus Mossambious, Peters, Monats. Ak. Wiss. Berl. 1856, p. 465, and Flussfische v. Mossamb. 

 p, 104, t. XX, f. 3. 



Syngnathus KuhUi, Kaup, Lophob. p. 34. 



D. 20,23, P. 14, A. 4, C. 10. Osseous rings 12-15 -J- 33-36. 



