206 report — 1845. 



Much like the last, and like it distinguished from the other Gohies by a greater number 

 of rays than usual in the first dorsal. In this species that fin has a black mark. The Cam- 

 bridge Philosophical Institution has two specimens, collected by the Rev. George Vachell. 



Hab. Macao. 



Gobius lagerstroemianus. Gob. eleotris, Lin. Amcen. Acad. Dec. 1754. 

 "Bad. B. 5; D. 1 1|— 10; A. 9; C. 9 ! P. 20; V. 10." (Lin.) 



In the paper above quoted, which is entitled " Chinensia Lager stroemia?ia," Linnaeus cha- 

 racterises a Goby in the following terms : — " Lingua lavis. Dentes parvi acuminati. Oculi 

 a tergo capitis. Radiis pinna dor si prima acuminatis mollibus simplicibus. Pinna ventrales 

 fere infundibuliformes. Cauda integra, rotund at a. Piscis totus una cum pinnis nebulosus." 

 It seems to be allied to the preceding two species by the large number of rays in the first 

 dorsal. 



Hab. China, 



Gobius tannoao, Osbeck, Voy. to China, Engl. tr. i.p.201. "Bad. B. 4 ? 

 D. 11|-10; A. 13; C 18 ; V. 12. funnel-shaped." (Osb.) 

 Osbeck, in the account of his voyage to China, performed in 1751, but not published till 

 1757, and after his specimens had been examined by Linnaeus, mentions a Goby, which is 

 called Tannoao by the Chinese, and which he considers to be the same with the G. niger of 

 Linnaeus. This mistake is pointed out in the ' Histoire des Poissons ' by M. Valenciennes (xiv. 

 p. 16), but in quoting the rays of the first dorsal from Osbeck, there is a misprint of 1| for 11|. 

 At page 188 of the volume of the work just quoted, this fish is suspected to be a variety of 

 the Periophthalmus kalreuteri ; and it is possible that both this and the preceding species may 

 actually belong to that genus. In the German translation of Osbeck's ' Voyage/ this species 

 appears to have been named Apocryptes cantonensis (C. et V. I. c). 

 Hab. Canton. 



Gobioides melanurus, Broussonnet (Gobius), MSS. ; Descript. of Anim. 

 p. 147. % 158. "Bad. D. 18; A. 9; C. 13 ; P. 14; V. 7." (Id. I.e.) 



The figure here quoted has a general resemblance to Gobioides broussonneti of Lacepede 

 (C. et V. pi. 348), but the single dorsal and the anal occupy less space. The name of Gobius 

 melanurus was written by Broussonnet himself over the figure, and he mentions the species by 

 the same appellation in his first decade. The pectorals appear to be funnel-shaped, but their 

 rays have most probably been incorrectly counted. The unknown author of the work gives 

 us merely the following notice of the characters in addition to the numbers of the rays quoted 

 above: — " Nearly cylindrical. Head roundish. One dorsal. Tail pointed with a black spot 

 on the base of the fin" above the middle. " Eight inches long." 



Hab. " In Canton river. Eaten by the Chinese." 



Apocryptes serperaster, Richardson. Icon. Reeves, Q, 55 ; Hardw. 239. 



Chinese name, Pih-shay, "White snake" (Birch); Pakhop, "White frog" 



(Reeves); Pakkop (Bridgem. Chrest. 73). Rad. D. 6|-27 ; A. 27; C.23; 



P. 23; V. 1|5-1|5, united. 



This fish is very commonly carried about the streets for sale. Two specimens, now in the 

 museum of the Cambridge Philosophical Institution, were brought from China by the Rev. 

 George Vachell. They have less resemblance to Osbeck's figure of Apocryptes pectinirostris 

 than what is shown by a Boleophthalmus, obtained in the same seas by Mr. Vachell and 

 noticed below. A. serperaster has a long pointed caudal, and scales sufficiently visible to the 

 naked eye, but not ciliated, or only sparingly and deciduously so. A skinny preorbitar lip. 

 Three canines on each intermaxillary, and one interior one on each side of the symphysis 

 below. Twenty-one side teeth on each limb of the upper jaw, and sixteen horizontal ones 

 with incurved tips on each limb of the lower jaw. Five rays of first dorsal nearly of equal 

 length, the sixth very short, and omitted in Reeves's figure. The last ray of the second 

 dorsal and anal divided to the base. Colour dirty wood-brown with darker patches at intervals. 

 Paler and silvery on the sides and belly. The figure shows none of the spots or blue lines on 

 the dorsals which exist in Osbeck's pectinirostris. Length of the specimens 6 inches, of the 

 caudal nearly \\ inch. Length from snout to anus 2-2 inches. 



Hab. Macao. 



Trypauchen vagina, C. et V. xii. p. 153; Icon. Reeves, j3. 57; Hardw. 

 Acanth. 283. Chinese name, Hung lae, " Red lae" (Reeves, Birch, 

 Bridgem. Chrest. 230). 



