PISCES. 
159 
of preservation, so that he could not decide whether it should be referred to 
the Blennioids or Gadoids, or whether it is the type of a distinct family : — 
V Microdesmus. Body much elongate, eel-like, covered vdth rudimentary 
scales ; head rather short, Avith obtuse snout, narrow cleft of the mouth, and 
prominent lower jaw. Eyes minute. Teeth in both jaws minute,* palate 
toothless. The gill-opening is reduced to a small slit in front of the pectoral 
fin. Vertical fins united by a membrane, but the caudal can be easily dis- 
tinguished from the two other fins. Dorsal fin very long, composed of 
flexible undivided rays, like the anal. Pectorals short; ventrals thoracic, 
each reduced to a single ray. Vent in the middle of the total length. 
Microdesmus dipus, pi. 3. fig. 2, from the Pacific coast of Panama. 
Atherinid^. 
J Atheriniclitliys pachylepis, sp. n., Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 26, from 
the Pacific coast of Panama ; ^Atherinichthys guatemalemxs, sp. n., Gunther, 
ibid. p. 161, from the Lakes of Huamuchal. 
MuGILIDvE. 
V Mugil g'untheri, sp. n., Steindachner, Sitzgsber. Acad. Wiss. Wien, 1864, 
xlix. p. 211, from British Guiana. 
GaSTEROSTEID^. / i/ 
Hr. Malmgren enumerates three Finnish species : G. aculeatus, G. pungitius, 
and ^inaclii^ulgaris. Wiegm. Arch. 1864, p. 282. 
Mr. J. Peers took 140 Sticklebacks from a trout-stream near Warrington ; 
about one-half of them were G. acideatus {gymnurus), the other half con- 
sisting chiefly of G. pungitius, with three or four G. spinulosus, and one 
example with Jive spines (an sp. n. ?). Zoologist, 1864, p. 9146. 
GoBIESOCIDiE. 
Lepadogaster. Prof. Canestrini has examined the Mediter- 
ranean speeies of this genus (Arch, per la Zool. 1864, p. 177) ; 
he describes and figures them, and adds the more important 
synonyms. Beside Gouania or Leptopterygius, another genus 
is separated from Lepadogaster, under the name of Mirbelia ; it 
is founded on a very unimportant character, viz. the separation 
of the vertical fins, which are confluent in the other species. 
The following points are worthy of notice : — 
a. Lepadogaster wildenowii (Risso) is regarded as synonytiious with Gouania 
prototypus (J^ 2 X^d) — Leptoptei'ygius piger (Nardo). 
b. Lepadogaster hrownii (Bisso) has been recognized by the author, and is 
described (p. 186) under the same name. 
i c. Lepadogader acutus, sp. n., p. 187. 
d. Mirhelia gracilis, sp. n., p. 196, tav. 3. fig. 7. 
^ Gohiesox rhodospilus, sp. n., Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 26, from the 
Pacific coast of Panama. 
OphiocephalidvE. 
^ Channa ocellata, sp. n., Peters, Monatsber. Acad. Wiss. Berl. 1864, p. 392 ; 
Hah, — P 
