201 
occiput and muchal shields with ridges ; operculum covered with 
strong radiated stride, and almost cariuated ; the pectorals are 
not much longer than the orbit, and not quite one-half of one of 
the body shields ; the snout is contained about seven times in 
the trunk ; the distance from the anus to the beginning of the 
dorsal is about equal to oue-half its distance to the end of the 
snout ; the body has three ridges, the upper one much more 
marked than the others ; the central one ending at the base of 
the tail ; each shield has two small longitudinal ridges, and is 
perpendicularly striated ; the osseous rings number nine 
on the body, seven more on the tail before the dorsal, 
which begins on the seventeenth, and extends over the three 
following ; behind these are forty-five or forty-six others ; the 
caudal is very minute; no anal; the tail is tapering and very 
thin, its ridges are much less marked than those of the body. 
The general colour is a light green, with dark spots corres- 
ponding to the centre of the body rings ; eye of a golden hue. 
There is a rather indistinct black stripe on the side of the snout. 
The length of my largest specimen is three and a-half inches. 
I have seen it rather commonly in the months of January and 
February ; taken with shrimps. Its motions are very active. 
STiaMATOPHORA. 
The most apparent characters of this genus of Dr. Kaup is 
the absence of a caudal fin, and the tail going tapering to its end. 
Dr. Grunther characterizes it as follows : — “ Body depressed, 
with the ridges obsolete, those of the trunk being continuous 
with those of the tail ; shields covered with soft skin ; pectoral 
fin developed ; caudal absent ; tail tapering to a very fine point ; 
dorsal very long; males with a caudal pouch, formed by cuta- 
neous folds,” Australia. 
All this applies exactly to the species I have under examina- 
tion, with the exception of the soft skin covering the shields ; 
I find them similar to the other Syngnathidce. 
STI&IIATAPHORA NIOEA. 
Stigmataphora Nigra., Kaup, Lophoh., p. 53. 
Gunther, Catal., vol. viii., p. 190. 
The general form is very slender ; the height of the body being, 
in most specimens, contained about twenty-four times in the 
