1912.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 17 



besetzt." It would seem from this that his fish is not even a Myrich- 

 thys. 



Myrichthys stypurus (Smith and Swain) 10 may be identical with 

 the present species, but several minor differences may at least be 

 detected, such as its hind pectoral edge being lunate, dorsal and 

 anal fins persisting almost to the tail tip where quite high, and the 

 disposition of the spots. 



For these reasons I decline to follow Glinther. 



OphichthllS rufus (Rafinesque). 



Four frcm Italy. 



Jordan and Davis state that the "description of Echelus rufus 

 fits this species better [than Echelus polyrinus Rafinesque 12 ], but the 

 figure not at all." This is not true of my examples. Rafinesque's 

 figure, though crude, is largely identifiable with the present species. 

 The position of the dorsal and anal origins are correctly indicated, 

 as well as the pectoral, though the snout is a little more pointed. 

 In any case I feel obliged to adopt it, also because Bonaparte long 

 ago used it in his MSS. Ophisurus hispanus Bellotti 13 will then be a 

 synonym. I may further note that Jordan and Davis give 14 the 

 vomerine teeth as biserial, though in my examples they are all 

 uniserial. Moreau's rough figure of 0. hispanus 15 agrees with my 

 material. 



Ophichthus triserialis (Kaup). 



Herpetoichthys callisoma Abbott, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1860, p. 475. 

 Pacific Ocean. 



No. 38,148, A. N. S. P., type of H. callisoma Abbott. 



Ophichthus stenopterus (Cope). 



Ophichthys stenopterus Cope, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. Phila,, (2) XIV, 

 1871, p. 482. Japan. 



No. 1,043, A. N. S. P., type of 0. stenopterus Cope. No. 1,044, 



same data, paratype. 



Ophichthus uniserialis (Cope). 



Ophichthys uniserialis Cope, Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. Phila., XVII, 

 1877, p. 31. Pecasmayo Bay, Peru. 



No. 21,152, A. N. S. P., type of 0. uniserialis Cope. 



10 Ophichthys stypurus R. Smith and Swain, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V, 1882, 

 p. 120. Johnston I. 



11 Rafinesque, Car. Nuov. An. Sicil, 1810, p. 65, PI. 16, fig. 2. Palermo. 



12 Rafinesque, Ind. It. Sicil, 1810, p. 69. Palermo. 



13 Accad. Fisic. Med. Statist. Milano, Sed. 23 dicembr. 1857. 



14 Ophichthus hispanus Jordan and Davis, Rep. U. S. F. Com., XVI, 1888 

 (1S92), pp. 624, 628. Palermo. 



^Hist. Nat. Poiss. France, III, 1881, p. 584, fig. 212. Cannes, Nice. 

 2 



