302 Dr Harwood's Account of a Sea Serpent. 



part of the dorsal fin, a few other minute filaments take their 

 growth from it. The anal fin commences at the posterior union 

 of the sac with the body, and ends at about fourteen inches 

 from the extremity of the caudal filament. The body exhibits 

 no apparent lateral line ; but perhaps the most curious struc- 

 tures which the creature presents to our notice are connected 

 with the head and jaws. The almost entire absence of a 

 tongue might perhaps prove one of its most characteristic dis- 

 tinctions, were we as yet sufficiently acquainted with the con- 

 dition of this organ in those nearest allied to it. The teeth are 

 disposed in a single row above and below ; above they exist 

 only along the margins of the intermaxillary bones ; below they 

 extend almost the whole length of the maxilla ; but the ossa 

 palati are entirely destitute of teeth. Lastly, the jaw-bones are 

 so long, and their articulation is such, that their capabihty of 

 expansion exceeds what I have seen in any other animal, the 

 rattlesnake not excepted ; and as in snakes, when fully distend- 

 ed, the edges of the jaws describe a large circle, and then ap- 

 pear but as the hemming of an ample sac, the pharynx which 

 usually occupies so small a space being an equal participant 

 in this extensile property. When the jaws were gently open- 

 ed, they measured two and a-half inches across, and three and 

 a-half from the front teeth to those below ; but while they pos* 

 sess this power of extension, their contractile power is no less 

 remarkable. 



A drawing of this singular animal is given in Plate IV. 

 Fig. 4. 



As this animal forms a new genus of serpentiform fishes, 

 Dr Harwood has given it the name of Ophiognathus ampuU 

 Ulceus, with the following characters. 



Corpus nudum, lubricum, colubriforme, compressum sacco 

 amplo abdominali. 



Caput antice depressum, maxillo superiore (paulo) longiore, 



Dentes in maxilla inferiore, et ossibus intermaxillaribus, su- 

 bulati, retroflexi. 



Maxilla? elongatae, patulae dilatabiles (serpentium instar.) 



Lingua vix conspicua. 



Spiracula ante et sub pinnas pectorales magna. 



Pinnae pectorales, dorsales, analesque radiis mollibus ; ven- 

 trales nullae. 



