GOBIUS. 33 



length of head 3 to 3^ times. Head nearly twice as long as broad, 

 naked; snout obtuse, very convex, a little shorter than eye, which is 3| 

 times in length of head and double interorbital width ; jaws equal 

 in front ; mouth extending to below anterior border of eye ; teeth in 

 rather broad bands, outer enlarged. Dorsals VI, I 7, narrowly separated 

 from each other, longest rays f length of head. Anal I 7, opposite to 

 second dorsal. Pectoral a little shorter than head, Avith silk-like upper 

 rays. Ventral not reaching vent. Caudal rounded, a little shorter than 

 head. Caudal peduncle twice as long as- deep. Scales 30 in longitudinal 

 series, 8-9 in transverse series between dorsal and anal. Olive above, 

 greenish pink beneath ; head with five purplish-black narroAV cross-bars ; 

 numerous irregular brown spots on the sides; first dorsal with two 

 narrow purplish-black bars; second dorsal and caudal with black spots. 



Total length 33 millim. 



Sambirano River, N.W, Madagascar. — Types believed to be lost. 



13. GOBIUS SOPORATOG*. 

 Cuv. & Val. Hist. Poiss. xii. p. 56 (1837) ; Guntli, Cat. Fish. ill. p. 26 (1861) ; 

 Steind. Notes Leyd. Mus. xvi. 1894, p. 26. 



Body feebly compressed ; depth of body 4 to 4f times in total length, 

 length of head 3 to 3^ times. Head 1^ to 1^ times as long as broad, 

 naked ; snout rouaded, as long as or slightly longer than eye, which is 

 4 to 4| times in length of head; interorbital space very narrow ; mouth 

 terminal, extending to below anterior third or fourth of eye ; teeth 

 in a narrow villiform band, outer enlarged. Dorsals VI, I 9, narrowly 

 separated from each other, longest rays about ^ length of head. Anal 

 I 8, its origin a little behind that of second dorsal. Pectoral f to | 

 length of head, upper rays filiform, silk-like, free. Ventral not extending 

 to vent, with a broad basal membrane, each side of which is pointed 

 and produced. Caudal rounded, a little shorter than head. Caudal 

 peduncle IJ to 1^ times as long as deep. Scales ciliated, 39-45 in 

 louH'itudinal series, 14-16 in transverse series between dorsal and anal. 

 Brown, with darker streaks along the series of scales and with irregular 

 dark blotches or with dark cross-bands; fins brown, dorsal and caudal 

 with small darker spots. 



* The present description is based e.xchisively on African specimens, — The Ainericiin 

 synonymy has not been \\orked out. 



VOL. IV. . U 



