197 



prominences ; tail prehensible, finless ; pectoral fins. The males 

 carry the eggs in a sac at the base of the tail, opening near the 

 vent. 



" Inhabitants of all seas of the temperate and tropical regions, 

 they are pelagic fishes, which attach themselve to seaweeds, or 

 other floating substances, and are liable to be carried by currents 

 to great distances, consequently some specimens are spread over 

 different parts of the globe. The species are difficult to dis- 

 tinguish, on account of the great amount of variation, to which 

 the development of the tubercles, shape of shields, and length of 

 snout, are subject ; the number of dorsal rays appear to be very 

 constant." 



All this is perfectly exact ; but I am not certain that the 

 length of the snout, and form of the body shields, does vary so 

 considerably in the same sort, at least I have seen no example of 

 it, and the presence of filaments is, I believe, only to be observed 

 in the males of a few sorts, except in P7iyllopteryx i where they 

 are constant in both sexes. 



HIPPOCAMPUS NOV^-HOLLANDI^l. 



Hip. Novae Hollandiae, Sitzgsber, Ale. Wiss. Wien., 1866 



(Dr. Grunther) 

 GuntJier, Catal., vol. viii., p. 201. 



Dorsal fins with seventeen rays ; the occipital coronet forms a 

 little crown of five branches, leaving like a small cratere between 

 them. 



The body is yellow, covered with small red spots ; dorsal fin 

 with a longitudinal brown narrow band ; the rays marbled 

 brown and white ; back generally more or less marbled with 

 brown. 



HIPPOCAMPUS TEISTIS. 



Same form as the preceding, but the tail shorter; dorsal fin with 

 fourteen rays ; the shields of the body covered with transverse 

 stripes ; the anterior abdominal crest of the body divided in 

 points generally bifid. 



Dorsal fin with a narrow longitudinal brown band, and the 

 rays marbled with the same colour. No filaments. 



One specimen. 



