A new Schistura from the Pearl River in Guangxi, China (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae)

Schistura paraxena, new species, is described from the Pearl River drainage in Laibin, Guangxi Province, China. The new species is easily distinguished from its congeners in having conspicuous peduncular crests along its dorsal and ventral extremities and a plain beige body coloration with crests brownish gray and a pale spot medially at caudal-fin base. Further characters useful to diagnose the species, but not unique to it, are: 8½ branched dorsal-fin rays; 11–12 pectoral-fin and 9 pelvic-fin rays; modally 38 vertebrae; predorsal length 50–52% SL; caudal-peduncle length 17–18% SL (88–92% HL; 5.6–5.8 times SL); lateral line complete; breast naked; predorsal area scaled; and upper lip not notched.

Description of a new species of the fish genus Acanthoplesiops Regan (Teleostei: Plesiopidae: Acanthoclininae) from Tonga

Acanthoplesiops naka sp. n. is described from the 9.9 mm SL holotype collected at Ofolanga Island of the Ha apai Group of Tonga. Its dorsal-fin spine count of XVIII is unique in the genus. The following combination of characters also distinguishes it from congeners: first two dorsal-fin pterygiophores in the 3 rd interneural space (anterior dorsal-fin formula ?/?/I+I/I/I/I/I//I/I/I); 3 dentary pores; 2 intertemporal pores; head and body generally brownish with darker pigment spots (from shrunken melanophores), excepting a paler stripe from the anterior half of the symphyseal flap on the lower lip to the origin of the dorsal fin (continuing on to the first dorsal spine), a pale spot on the pectoralfin base, and a pale caudal peduncle continuous with pale bases of last 3 segmented dorsaland anal-fin rays; regular ctenoid scales; no membranous attachment of last dorsalor anal-fin rays to caudal fin. The new species might be the sister taxon to A. psilogaster as they share the putative derived character of two dorsal-fin pterygiophores in the 3 rd interneural space.

THE ACTIVITY OF PERIPHERALLY STORED NEUROHUMORS IN CATFISHES

1. Adrenalin when mixed with olive oil 1:100 and injected subcutaneously into a catfish will produce a marked pale spot and a general blanching of the whole fish. The general blanching will disappear in about a day. The pale spot may last 3 to 4 weeks. 2. Injections of adrenalin in oil 1:1000 to 1:10,000,000 cause the formation of only pale spots in catfishes. Adrenalin in oil 1:100,000,000 has no effect on the fish's color. 3. Acetylcholine, though ordinarily more powerful than adrenalin, when mixed with oil is effective only in high concentrations 1:20 to 1:100. It then produces clusters of moderately dark spots. 4. The pale spot on a catfish due to adrenalin in oil may be temporarily obliterated by intermedin. It will return of itself, and this process may be repeated a number of times. The same is true of the dark spots produced by acetylcholine in oil when subjected to adrenalin. These observations indicate the subcutaneous storage of both adrenalin and acetylcholine in oil. 5. In the natural color changes in catfishes the nervous neurohumors, probably also adrenalin and acetylcholine, appear both to be stored in the fish's lipoids and to serve thus as a means of lenghthening the times of initial color responses till these stores of neurohumors are exhausted.

On the Wing Forms of Anopheles funestus, Giles

In a previous paper (Leeson 1937) it was shown that in East Africa there were variations in the wing markings of the type form of Anopheles funestus. It was further shown that larvae and pupae positively identified as typical A. funestus produced adults having these wing markings. Identification of the adults was confirmed by examination of pharyngeal armatures and male terminalia. The wing forms were then arranged in the following four groups:— Group 1: dark area at base of costa uninterrupted, 3rd vein with a pale interruption. Group 2: dark area at base of costa uninterrupted, 3rd vein entirely dark. Group 3: dark area at base of costa interrupted by one pale spot, 3rd vein with a pale interruption. Group 4: dark area at base of costa interrupted by one pale spot, 3rd vein entirely dark.

Eight new mosquitos in the British Museum collection

♀ Head: sides clothed with flat white scales, interrupted by a rather narrow horizontal band of flat black ones; two large patches of flat black scales on the top, separated by a rather narrow band of narrow white scales extending from the nape on to the front; a narrow line of narrow white scales bordering the upper part of the eyes. Eyes well separated. Proboscis and palpi black. First antennal joint blackish, greypruinose. Thorax: integument blackish, except for the reddish scutellum and a small pale spot on each side at the base of the postnotum. Prothoracic lobes and the space behind them clothed with flat white scales. Scutum clothed with narrow yellowish-white and blackish scales, the former arranged in definite narrow lines as follows: a median line extending from the front margin to a little in front of the scutellum, where it forks into two; a line on each side of this extending the whole length of the scutum, enlarged a little in front of the middle and sending a branch obliquely forwards from this point to the lateral angle of the thorax; and another line forming a border to the scutum. Scutellum with narrow scales, mostly yellowishwhite, but some black ones on each side of the middle lobe. Pleurae with several patches of flat white scales. Abdomen black, above with conspicuous pure white basal lateral patches and traces of yellowish-white basal bands on all the segments; venter black, all the segments with pure white basal bands. Eighth segment welldeveloped, only partly retractile; cerci short, rather broad and rounded at the tip.

A NEW ISCHALIA FROM VANCOUVER ISLAND

Ischalia Vancouverensis, n. sp. Length 7½ mm. Flavo-testaceous, abdomen, disc of elytra and middle of antennæ purplish-black. Head deflexed, polished, prominently rounded between antennæ; eyes moderate, emarginate, coarsely granulated; antennæ reaching to apex ofhumeral pale spot, stout, first joint swollen, second small, remaining joints more elongated, gradually shortened, terminal joint acutely pointed, three basal and two terminal joints rufo-testaceous, intervening six blackish or piceous.