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Show 1871-] IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 663 mottled with black, without bands ; pectoral and ventral fins with whitish reticulations. Length of a single specimen 14| inches. South Australia. DACTYLOPTERUS ORIENTALIS. Young examples have been described by Dr. Bleeker under the name of D. chirophthalmus (Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. vii. 1854, p. 494). PERISTETHUS LIORHYNCHUS. (Plate LXII.) D. 7\& A. 21. L. lat. 34. Prseorbital processes of moderate width, their length being one third of the distance between their extremity and the front margin of the orbit. Snout and forehead without any spines ; also the prae-opercular ridge does not terminate in a spine. Interorbital space concave, its width being equal to the diameter of the eye. Anterior abdominal scutes considerably longer than broad, and much larger than the posterior, which are broader than long. Red, coarsely reticulated with blackish. The dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins with a black margin. One specimen, 8j inches long, was obtained by Dr. A. B. Meyer at Manado. PERISTETHUS ENGYCEROS. (See woodcut, p. 662.) Preeorbital processes narrow; their length is contained twice and three fourths in the distance of their extremity from the orbit. Snout with three spines above; four or five similar spines in front of the upper part of the orbit. Prteopercular spine nearly as long as prseorbital process, subcylindrical, acutely pointed. Interorbital space concave, its width less than the vertical diameter of the orbit. There are also some small spines on each side of the crown of the head. Anterior ventral plates rather longer than broad, posterior nearly twice as broad as long. I have seen only the fragments of a dried example of this new species; it was sent by Harper Pease, Esq., from the Sandwich Islands. GOBIUS MUCOSUS. (Plate LXIII. fig. A.) D. 6|n- A. 10. The scales are very small and hidden below a thick mucous covering**, which envelops all parts and forms on the snout and sides of the'head transverse and longitudinal ridges. The height of the body is one fifth of the total length (without caudal), the length of the head two sevenths. Head rather depressed, its depth being one half of its length. Snout moderately produced, the posterior margin of the orbit occupying nearly the middle of the head. The diameter of the eve equals the width of the interorbital space, and is one fifth of the length of the head. Mouth small, subvertical, the angle of the mouth being at a considerable distance from the eye. Teeth |
