GG4 PHYSOSTOMI. 



Elapsopis, Mystriophis, EeMopis, Scyialophis, Leptorhinophis, PisoodonopMs, Lamnostoma, Anguisurux, 

 OirrMmurirua, Callecliehji^, IcUliyapns, OplnsurapMs, Crotcdopsis, Kaup : Achirophklithys, Bleeker : Macrodonu- 

 phis and JJrauichlhys, Poey. 



OiU-openings may be close together. Snout greatly or moderately produced. Cleft of mouth wide or of 

 medium width : lips m.ay ormay not befringed. Teeth in jaws and on vomer, either pointed and granular, or small 

 and conical : in the maxilla they may be in from one to four roxos, or in bands ; while in the mandibles they may be 

 in one or two rmvs : canines present or absent. Dorsal jin, when present, commences either in advance of or nearly 

 nbove the giU-opeiiiug, or behind the root of the pectoral : the pectorals, when present, may be rudimentary, or only 

 developed'in. the adult, or else of moderate size: anal present or absent: extremity of tail free. 



This Genus has been considered by some authors as a Family : the various Genera composing which 

 have been included in a single but sub-divisible genus in the British Museum Catalogue, premising that in all 

 the extremity of the tail is free, and that there are vomerine teeth. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



a. Teeth obtuse or granular : pectorals piresent or absent. 



1. Ophichthiis 6oro— Head 3^ to 4 times in length of trunk : body nearly 2/3 of total length. Seas 

 and estuaries of India to the Malay Archipelago : it ascends rivers. 



2. Ophlchfliys microcqihalus — Head 7h to 8 times in length of trunk : body rather above 1/3 of the 

 total length. Malabar. 



3. Ophichthi/s col ubrin us -Ht'dd 8 to 9 times in length of trunk : body about 1/2 of total length. Body 

 .'surrounded by brown rings, between which are sometimes spots. Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. 



b. Teeth p)ointed. and in a single row : pectorals absent. 



4. Ophichthys Orientalis—llead 3.^ to 4 times in length of trunk : body 1/2 of total length. Ceylon 

 and Bav of Bengal. 



5. Ophichthys ornatissimus — Head 7^ in length of trunk: body about as long as tail : 16 to 17 large 

 dark spots along the lateral-line. Malabar. 



a. Teeth obtuse or granular : pectorals present or absent. 



1. Ophichthys boro, Plate CLXXI, fig. 2. 



Ophisurus boro. hljida and Imrnncha, Ham. Buch. Fish. Gang. pp. 20, 21, 363, t. v, f . 5 ; Gray, 111. Ind. 

 Zool. (from H. B.'s ilSS.) ; McClell. Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist, v, p. 211, tab. 12, fig. 4 ; Richards. Ichth. Chin. 

 p. 313, and Voy. Ercb. and Terr. Fish. p. 99, I02 ; Bleek. Beng. p. 156; Cant. Cat. Fish. p. 322, pi. o, fig. 

 2 (teeth). 



Ophisurus rostratus, verniiformis, minimus and caudatus, McClell. 1. c. pp. 184, 185, 211, 212, t. 10, f. 3, 

 and t. 12, f. 2 and 3. 



Ophisurus p>U7icticulata, immaculata and acuminata, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 334. 



Conger microstoma, Eyd. and Soul. Voy. Bonite, i, p. 205, Poiss. pi. 9, fig. 3. 



Ophisurus potamophilus, Bleek. Borneo, p. 458, and Murasn, p. 68. 



Fisoodonophis boro, Kaup, Apod. p. 17 ; Bleek. Atl. Ichth. iv, p. 62, tab. 164, fig. 3; Day, Fish. Malabar, 

 p. 248. 



Fisoodonophis potamophilus, Kaup, Apod. p. 20; Bleek. 1. c. p. 63, tab. 172, fig. 2. 



Ophichthys hyala and boro, Giinther, Catal. viii, pp. 60, 77. 



B. xxix-xxxi, D. 320-400, P. 13, A. 250-270. 



Length of head (to gill-opening) from Si to 4 times in the distance between the snout and the vent : 

 length of trunk nearly 2/3 of the total. %es— from 2 to 2i or even 3 diameters from end of snout and slightly 

 nearer angle of mouth than the end of snout. Upper jaw the longer : cleft of mouth extending some distance 

 behind the eye. Snout rather depressed in the young, and obtuse in the adult._ T«ei7t— granular, in a large 

 patch on maxilla, and in several smaller rows on premaxillaries : large and in several rows on the vomer. 

 Externally two granular rows in mandible, with an internal pointed one. The form of the teeth is subject to 

 considerable variation, thus they are usually conical in the young, which character may be retained in the 

 adult age, 0. hyala : or the young in some instances have globular headed teeth : the number of rows of teeth 

 is not constant. J'ms— dorsal low, it commences about the length of the pectoral behind its posterior margin, 

 not quite reaching the tip of the tail. Pectoral rounded or pointed, it equals about one-fourth of the distance 

 between the snout and its base. Anal low, it does not extend on to the tip of the tail. Co^owrs— greenish-olive 

 above with many minute black spots, becoming greenish-white below, the dorsal fin with a dark edging. 



Hamilton Buchanan divided his species apparently chiefly by the colour. 0. hijala has pale spots along 

 the lateral-line : 0. boro destitute of spots and wanting a lateral-line : 0. harancha, destitute of spots but 

 having a lateral-line. 



The natives in some parts of Bengal, imagine that this fish proceeds from the ear of a porpoise. 



When breathing this fish distends its gill cavities with air taken in at its mouth, whilst it can also 



