199 



oscellated white spots, which extend on the head, the snout, and 

 the upper side of the tail ; the anterior edge of the body is of a 

 fine yellow ; the snout, back, and upper parts of the body are of 

 a dark violet carmine ; the lower side of the tail is of a fine 

 reddish brown ; the transverse violet bands of the anterior part 

 of the body are still visible ; the fins are pink, with a large 

 rounded black spot on the dorsal, which extends nearly to the 

 edge ; the filaments are of a dark brown ; the operculum, and 

 proeoperculurn are covered with fine radiated striae. 

 It bears at Hobart Town the name of Sea Dragon. 



SYNG-NATHUS. 



This genus used to contain the entire family ; but it has been 

 very much restricted by Dr. Kaup : Dr. G-unther characterizes 

 it thus — " Body with the ridges more or less distinct ; the dorsal 

 edge of the trunk not being continuous with that of the tail ; 

 pectoral fins well developed ; caudal present ; dorsal fin opposite 

 or near to vent,; humeral bones firrnly united into the breast 

 ring ; male with an egg pouch on the tail, the eggs being covered 

 by cutaneous folds." 



Inhabiting all the seas of the temperate and tropical regions. 



ST1ST&NATHUS SEMISTEIATTJS. 



Syngnathus Semistriatus ? Kaup; Lopli., p. 48. 

 Semifsaciatus ? Gunther, Catal., vol. vin, p. 462. 



Lateral line interrupted ; the trunk is very arched, and con- 

 tained four and a-half times in its length ; the snout, from its 

 extremity to the anterior edge of the eye, is equal to the distance 

 from the posterior edge of the eye to the end of the third body 

 ring ; it is long, almost cylindrical, rather turned up ; head 

 without ridges, but covered with strong convergent striae ; these 

 cover also the shields of the body. The head is contained one 

 and two-third times in the trunk, and this, including the head, is 

 one and one-third in the tail ; anus under the first third of the 

 length of the dorsal ; this is large and formed of thirty-eight 

 rays ; caudal fin very small as are also the pectorals ; the rings of 

 the trunk number twenty and those of the tail forty. eight to fifty. 



The general colour is of a light green, with the lower side of 



