1874.] 367 [Putnam. 



rediscover the fish (or at least one closely allied to it) which was 

 figured by Russell (i, pi. 33 [39]). It proves to be a Blennioid, near 

 Petroscirtes. He considers it also possible that Nemophis of Kaup 

 may be a fish allied to it. Dr. Bleeker prefers to adopt the name of 

 Xiphasia(\)" 



This paper by Dr. Bleeker is reprinted, with a plate representing 

 the fish of natural size, in the publications of the Amsterdam Acad- 

 emy of the following year. The habitat of the specimen, which is 

 about eighteen inches in length, is unknown. 



In the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, 

 for 1865, Prof. Gill described and figured a new genus of fishes 

 under the name of P lag ioir emus, from a specimen five and one-half 

 inches in length, collected by Dr. Stirapson in the China Sea. From 

 the description given, it is evident that this fish is closely allied to 

 Nemophis of Kaup, as Prof. Gill states, and he therefore places it as 

 a subfamily of the family Nemophida3. Prof. Gill also considers the 

 family as allied to the Blennioids. He further mentions that in Mr. 

 Brevoort's collection there is a species of Nemophis from Madagascar. 



In the Zoological Record for 1865, Dr. Giinther, in noting the 

 genus Plagiotremus of Gill, which he refers to the Blenniida?, makes 

 the following statement: "Mr. Gill thinks that this remarkable fish 

 should be united with Nemophis into a family NemophidcE ; but it 

 would appear to the Recorder that it shows sufficient affinities to 

 Xiphogadus, with which it should be compared." 



The Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1868, contains a 

 paper by Lieut. Col. Playfair on a collection of fishes from Madagas- 

 car, in which is described as a new species, Xiphogadus madagascari- 

 ensis, from a specimen eleven and one-half inches long, which was 

 taken, in a partially digested condition, from the stomach of another 

 fish caught in the Mouroundava River. 



The final reference I have to make in this summary of the history 

 of this family is the following quotation from Dr. Giinther, as the 

 Ichthyological Recorder of the Zoological Record for 1868, published 

 in 1869, where under the family of Blenniidas he gives the follow- 

 ing paragraph: — 



" Nemophis. The Recorder has recently had an opportunity of 

 examining nine examples obtained in various parts of the Indian 

 Ocean, and is convinced, 1, that Xiphogadus is identical with 

 Nemophis of Kaup (who overlooked the ventral fins) ; and, 2, that 

 although the examples examined by him may belong to two distinct 



