114. BLENNIID^: - MUE^NOIDES. 767 



smooth; no lateral line. Dorsal fin long and low, beginning near the 

 head, composed entirely of stiff, sharp, subequal spines; anal similar 

 in form, of two spines and many soft rays; caudal fin short and small, 

 sometimes joined to dorsal and anal; pectorals short; ventrals very 

 small, of one spine and a rudimentary ray (obsolete or wanting in 

 some imperfectly-known species provisionally referred to this genus) ; 

 intestinal canal short, without cceca. Shore fishes of the Northern 

 fishes of the Northern seas, (nupc/Liva, an eel; eT5?, form.) 



6. Ventrals present, I, 1. (Murcenoides.') 



1168. M. gunnelliis (L.) Gill. Butter-fish. 



Olive brown; sides with numerous obscure darker bars; base of 

 dorsal with ocellated dark spots; a dark bar below eye. Head short 

 and compressed, scale-less; mouth oblique; maxillary reaching front of 

 pupil; caudal fin distinct; pectorals little more than half length of 

 head; ventrals of a spine and a rudimentary ray. Head about 8; 

 depth 9. D. LXXVIII ; A. II, 38 ; V. I, 1 ; vert. 85. L. 12 inches. 

 North Atlantic; abundant both in America and Europe. 



(Bleniiius gunnellus L. Syst. Nat. i, 443: Centronolus gunellus Giinther, iii, 285: Ophi- 

 dium mucronatum Mitch. Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. i, 361, 1815: Gunnellus macrocephalus 

 Girard, Bost. Jouru. Nat. Hist, vi, 263, 1850: Gunellus ingens Storer, Bost. Journ. Nat. 

 Hist, vi, 261, 1850; perhaps an abnormal specimen rather than a different genus.) 



1169. M. fasciatus (Bloch & Schu.) Gill. 



Grayish or brownish, marbled with darker, anteriorly with several 

 irregular cross-bands, which reach the abdomen ; back with a series of 



10 or 12 subtriangular pale spots along the- base of dorsal, each spot 

 including some brown specks; a brown-edged pale vertical band be- 

 hind eye; a brownish band from below the eye to the throat. Mouth 

 very oblique, the snout short; iuterorbital width less than diameter of 

 eye; pectoral scarcely half as long as head; ventrals very small; ver- 

 tical fins not joined. Head 9; depth 9. D. LXXXVIII; A. II, 42; 

 Y. I, 1. Greenland to Alaska. (GuntJier.) 



(Centronotus fasciatus Bloch & Schneider, 165, 1801: Gunnellus fasciatus and groen- 

 landicus Guv. & Val. xi, 441, 442: Centronotus fasciatus Giinther, iii, 287: ? Centronotus 

 gunelliformis Giinther, iii, 288.) 



11 YO. M. oriiatus (Grd.) Gill. 



Usually greenish above, yellow or orange below, but varying to 

 brown and cherry-red; traces of about 20 darker bars along sides; a 



