groove; profile of snout almost vertical, upper lip very slightly overhanging lower, cleft of mouth small and lateral, maxillary reaches to vertical of anterior third or middle of orbits; eyes placed high up and to the front. A series of mucous pores round orbits, a row along posterior and lower margins of preoperculum, and a row on each side of arch of lateral line.

Dorsal xii 21; commences a little behind posterior margin of preoperculum and reaches to about base of caudal; spinous and soft-rayed portions about equal in height, length of head, with a very slight notch between them caused by shortening of last spine and first ray; soft rays and posterior spines are slightly tuberculose at their extremity. Pectorals 14; oval and slightly pointed, about length of head. Ventrals I 2; about length of head. Anal II 21; spines with a pronounced tubercle on each, extremities of rays slightly tuberculose; a minute tubercle between 1st spine and anus. Caudal slightly rounded, rays split at the extremity, about length of head. Lateral line a double row of openings only visible anteriorly.

9

10

Colour, light yellowish brown or grey, with broad dark crossbands, and a dark spot on dorsal between the 3rd and 5th dorsal spines over the band behind the pectorals.

Two specimens, 68 mm. and 61 mm. in length respectively, obtained by the Pieter Faure (s.) in False Bay; the larger caught in the dredge, in 9 fms., about 1 mile off Zwartklip, the smaller (grey one) in the shrimp trawl, in 14 fms., about 2 miles off Seal Island.

The species is distinguished from B. capito by the absence of the transverse groove behind tentacles, ocellated spot on dorsal, &c.

NOTE. After this paper was in print we received a copy of a paper by Mr. Tate Regan describing a collection of fishes made by Dr. Warren. One of his new species (Salarias kosiensis) corresponds closely to a species which we had described as new, and we substitute his prior name. He also describes a new species of Blennius (B. punctifer), specimens of which we have not yet procured his description of this species will be found on p. 141.

ASPIDONTUS, Cuv.

Body elongate, naked. Mouth small, with a single row of immovable teeth in each jaw and a strong curved canine on each side, those of the lower jaw much stronger than those of the upper. Gill-opening closed beneath and reduced to a small foramen above

the root of the pectorals. Dorsal fin low, the anterior spines not elevated. Ventrals jugular, composed of from 2 to 4 rays.

ASPIDONTUS woodi, n. sp.

Depth of body

Canine teeth strong, especially in lower jaw. about equals length of head, and is 5,7 times in total length excluding caudal. Distance from eye to point of snout 1 times diameter of eye, which equals interorbital width and is 4 times in length of head. No orbital tentacles, but there is a crest on the head twice the diameter of the eye in height and extending from above anterior margin of orbits to nape; snout obtuse and projecting slightly beyond mouth; upper jaw longer than lower and upper lip overhangs; mouth small and cleft slightly oblique, maxillary reaches to vertical of anterior third of orbits; eyes placed high up and with a row of pores round their posterior margin; a large pore below mandibles at each corner of mouth.

Dorsal xii 20; commences in line with opercular border and extends to base of caudal, spines weak; 1st spine length of head, remainder successively lengthening, the last spine being higher than the first. Membranes of soft rays slightly notched, ends of rays filamentous, longest ray about 14 times length of head. Pectorals 13; slightly longer than head. Ventrals 1 2; about length of head. Anal 21; low anteriorly, rising to about length of head, membranes slightly emarginate. Caudal about 1 times length of head, broad and rounded. Body elongate and slightly compressed, its depth varies very slightly for the greater part of its length; depth of caudal peduncle more than the greatest depth of the body. Lateral line indistinct.

Colour (of preserved specimen) brown, with about a dozen dark transverse curved bars on body; no spots.

A single specimen, 80 mm. in length, from Nahoon River; sent by Mr. J. Wood, after whom it is named, and who has collected many specimens of marine animals.

PETROSCIRTES, Rüppell.

This genus is closely allied to Aspidontus, differing chiefly in the elevated dorsal fin, the anterior spines being much higher than the others.

? PETROSCIRTES FILAMENTOSUS, C. and V.

Blennechis filamentosus, Cuv. and Val., xi., p. 280, pl. 326.

Petroskirtes rostratus (Solander), Bleek, Act. Soc. Sc. Indo-Nederl., ii., Amboina, p. 62.

Petroscirtes filamentosus, Günth., iii., p. 231.

No canines in upper jaw, those of lower jaw strong. Depth of body 5 times in total length excluding caudal, nearly 54 with caudal; length of head 4 times excluding, 4 times with caudal. Distance from eye to point of snout 1 times diameter of eye, which is 14 times in interorbital width and 4 times in length of head; depth of caudal peduncle 23 times in length of head. No orbital tentacles or crest on head; snout produced and conical, projecting much beyond cleft of mouth, which is lateral; upper jaw projecting beyond lower, mouth inferior, maxillary reaches to vertical of anterior margin of orbits.

Dorsal xxxvi.; commences in line with posterior margin of preoperculum and extends nearly to caudal; anterior spines elongate and filamentous, about the length of the head. Pectorals 14; pointed, lower rays longest and nearly length of head. Ventrals 3; the 3rd ray very short and weak, the others filamentous and length of head. Anal 26; 1st ray short, 2nd about 1 times as long, remainder subequal and length of head; membranes slightly incised. Caudal about length of head, with a vertical margin and

notched.

ΤΟ

Colour (of preserved specimen) uniform brown, a dark horizontal band through the eye and extending on to the body, large dark brown patches on anterior crest of dorsal and at intervals behind it. One specimen, 54 mm. in length, procured by the ss. Pieter Faure in St. Lucia Bay.

SALARIAS, Cuv.

Body moderately elongate, naked. Snout short. Cleft of mouth transverse. Tentacles above orbits more or less developed. A row of small movable teeth in the gums generally with a posterior curved canine on each side of lower jaw. Dorsal single, sometimes divided by a more or less deep notch between the spinous and soft-rayed portions. Ventrals jugular, formed by a small hidden spine and from two to four rays. A crest on the head in many cases, but in some species this has been found to be confined to the males. Gillopenings wide.

This genus includes the species classified by Jordan and Everman under Entomacrodus, having canine teeth, and Scartichthys, without canines, in both of which the dorsal fin is divided by a notch.

SALARIAS KOSIENSIS, Regan.

Salaris kosiensis, Regan, Ann. Nat. Gov. Museum, vol. 1, pt. 3, p. 254. (Blue Blenny, Yellow Blenny.)

A strong canine on each side of lower jaw. Depth of body 30 to 3 times in total length excluding caudal, length of head 3 to 4 times. Distance from eye to point of snout 1 times to nearly twice diameter of eye, which is 4 to 5 times in length of head; interorbital width to 13 diameter of eye; greatest depth of head equals its length and slightly exceeds its greatest breadth; depth of caudal peduncle 2 to 3 times in length of head. Snout obtuse, projecting slightly beyond mouth; upper lip thick and overhangs lower, maxillary reaches to vertical of middle or posterior third of orbits; a simple tentacle over the centre of each eye the length of which seems to vary, ranging from to about length of head; a bunch of tentacles at anterior nostril; a row or fringe of closely set plain tentacles about diameter of eye in length across nape, with a transverse groove between it and the origin of the dorsal fin; cheeks very swollen.

Dorsal xi 11-12; commences slightly in front of base of pectorals and reaches nearly to caudal; spines weak, the 1st bent backwards at about its height and from to length of head; succeeding spines shorter posteriorly and the connecting membrane of last spine is attached low down on the first soft ray, forming a deep notch between the spinous and soft-rayed portions of the fin, the soft-rayed portion being higher than the spinous, the longest rays being about to length of head. Pectorals 15; broad and pointed, middle rays longest and about to 1 in length of head. Ventrals I 2-3; fleshy, to length of head. Anal II 13-14; spines tuberculose, sometimes very small; soft portion of fin lower than soft dorsal, membranes deeply incised. Caudal rounded or truncate, middle rays split, about length of head. Scales of lateral line enlarged on arch, which is low.

Colour (of preserved specimens). Apparently there are two types of colour, the one a dark bluish shade, the other yellow or yellowish brown; 3 or 4 indistinct bars across the body, head and shoulders are covered with numerous small dark spots, which are continued above arched portion of lateral line and below dorsal. The yellow variety, especially, shows many light-coloured spots on body and vertical fins.

Six specimens, ranging in length from 126 mm. to 155 mm., from Mr. Robinson, Natal. Except in regard to colour they closely

resemble each other, the chief difference being the disparity in length of the orbital tentacles.

SALARIAS QUADRICORNIS, C. and V.

Salarias quadricornis, Cuv. and Val., xi., p. 329, pl. 329; ? Jenyns, Zool. Beagle, Fishes, p. 87; Günth., iii., p. 255; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 197; Klunz, Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 489.

Erpichthys quadricornis, Swainson, Fishes, ii., p. 275.

No canine teeth. Depth of body equals length of head and is 4 to 5 times in total length excluding caudal. Distance from eye to point of snout 1 to 13 times diameter of eye, which is 3 to 3 times in length of head; interorbital space concave and to diameter of eye; depth of caudal peduncle slightly more than length of head. A short simple tentacle about diameter of eye in length above each orbit, a similar one on each side of nape, and a cluster of cirri on anterior nostril; head blunt, anterior profile nearly vertical; snout blunt and projecting above mouth, upper lip overhangs lower, cleft of mouth lateral, maxillary reaches to vertical of posterior margin of orbits; eyes placed high up and far forward.

Dorsal xii 20; commences above posterior margin of operculum and extends to caudal, being joined to lower fourth of upper ray of caudal by a membrane. Spinous portion not quite so high as the soft, which is about the depth of the body, and with a notch between spines and rays caused by shortening of posterior spines. Pectorals 14; slightly longer than head, broad, lower rays incised. Ventrals 1 2-3; length of head. Anal 23; lower anteriorly, increasing to about height of spinous dorsal, membranes deeply incised, extremities of rays free. Caudal as long or a little longer than head, rounded, middle ray longest and divided at end. Lateral line distinct anteriorly, becoming very indistinct in posterior third of length. Body naked.

Colour (of preserved specimens), purplish brown, with irregular transverse bars in pairs on body, tips of anal white.

Three specimens, 42 mm., 97 mm., 115 mm. in length respectively, from Mr. Robinson, Natal; found in pools on Natal coast.

SALARIAS BARBATUS, n. sp.

No canine teeth. Depth of body 5 to 5 times in total length excluding caudal, length of head about 5 times. Distance from eye to point of snout to diameter of eye, which is about twice the interorbital width and 3 to 4 times in length of head. Depth