284 NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OP FISHES, 



caudal round the tip of the tail; ventrals rounded, with 10 to 

 16 rays, inserted below or a little behind the origin of the second 

 dorsal ; pectoral rounded, with a pungent spine and 12 to 15 

 soft rays; caudal rounded. 



Etymology : — ivdov, inside; pis, nostril. 



Type : — Copidoglanis longifilis, Macleay. 



Distribution : — North coast of Australia. 



LEPTOCEPHALID^. 



Under the name Cotigenmircena, Kaup, or C oiigroTmircena, as 

 amended by Giinther, a large number of small congriform eels 

 have been described by various authors. After a careful study 

 of most of the descriptions I have arrived at the conclusion that 

 these forms are clearly divisible into three groups, each of which 

 should be known by a distinct generic name. The following brief 

 diagnosis will suffice to show the characters which are relied on 

 to separate the proposed genera : — 



CONGERMUR^NA. 



Gongermurcena, Kaup, Catal. Apod. Fish. p. 105, 1856 (hahenata). 

 Gnathophis, Kaup, Aale Hamb. Mus. p. 7, 1859 (Jieterognathus). 



Teeth mostly granular, the outer series in the jaws acute; 

 vomerine band well developed. Head moderate, much shorter 

 than the trunk. Ej'-es large. Dorsal originating behind the base 

 of the pectorals, which are well developed. Vent well in advance 

 of the middle of the length. (Conger; Murcena : related genera). 



Distribution : — -Eastern Pacific and Indian Oceans. 



Following Giinther all recent authors have looked upon De la 

 Roche's Murcena balearica as the tyjae of Kaup's genus, but a 

 glance at that author's Catalogue of Apodal Fishes will convince 

 the most sceptical that such a course is indefensible. In that 

 work three species are referred to the genus Gongermurcena, 

 namely, Gongras habenatus, Richardson, of which a full descrip- 

 tion, extending over more than two pages, is given, Murcena 

 balearica, De la Roche, and Marcena mystax, De la Roche, each 

 of the two latter being dismissed with a description of less than 



