666 PHTSOSTOMI. 



Length of head from snout to gill-opening 7i in the length of the trunk : length of tail rather less than 

 that of tho^runk. Head depressed. %es— near end of snout. Jaws of nearly equal length. Terf/i — pointed, 

 the maxillary and front vomerine ones in a double, the remainder in a single row. Fins — dorsal low, 

 commencing "behind the end of the pectoral, the latter with 24 rays and about 1/4 of the length of the head. 

 Colours — irregular dark spots on the head. One transverse and two longitudinal rows of white spots on the 

 occiput : two curved whitish lines between the eye : sixteen to seventeen large, round, black spots along the 

 lateral-line which are separated by another band of spots of different sizes. Dorsal tin with black marginal 

 spots and stripes. 



Habitat. — Malabar. An example 20-8 inches long, was obtained by Dussumier. 



e. — Heart flaced a long distance behind the gills. Tail shorter than the trunh. Posterior nostril in front of 

 eye. Vertical fins little developed : pectorals, if present, rudimentary. 



Genus, 8 — Moringoa, Gray. 



Baifahorna, Gray : Ptyolranchus, McClell. ; Pierurns, Swainson : AphthahnichtJiys, Kaup : Pseudo- 

 moringua, Bleeker. 



Body suh-cylindrical with the trunk considerably longer than the tail. Gill-openings rather narrow and 

 inferior : heaH far posterior to the hranchice. Cleft of mouth narroiv. The posterior nostril situated in front of the 

 eye. Teeth in a single row. Vertical fins limited to the tail : pectorals, if present, small. Scales absent. 



Geographical distribution. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and Japan. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



1. Moringua raitahorua. Length of head 6 to 6^ in that of the tmnk : trunk longer than the tail. 

 Estuaries of Ganges to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Moringua macrocephala. Length of head 5J in that of the trunk : trunk at least 2/3 longer than the 

 tail. Ganges to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Moringua raitahorua, Plate CLXX, fig. 3. 



Murmna raitahorua. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 25, -364. 



Paitaborua Hamiltonii and Hardwickii, Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 9, and 111. Ind. Zool. c, fig. (from H. B. MS.) 



Ptifohranchus arnndinaceus, Guthrianus, erythreus, multidentafa, brevis (young), parmdentata, gracilis, 

 McClell. Calc. Joui-n. Nat HLst. v, pp. 200, 201, 203, 223, and pi. 9, fig. 3, 4 {half grown), 5 and 6, pi. 10, 

 fig. 1 and 2. 



Pfcrurus inaculatus, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 334. 



Anguilla {Moringua) raitaborna, Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. iv, p. 228, tab. I. 



Moringua raitaborna, Bleeker, Beng. p. 154 ; Kanp, Apod. p. lOG ; Gdnther, Catal. viii. p. 90. 



Moringua macrochir, Bleeker, Batav. p. 71, or Atl. Ichth. iv, p. 15, pi. 147, fig. 4 {young) ; Kner, Novara 

 Fische, p. 389. 



Moringua lumbriciforinis, EJiup, Apod. p. 107 {half groivn). 



Length of head from snout to gill-opening 6 to &\ in the distance from snout to vent : length of tail 

 from 2/5 to'3/8 of the entire length. Height of body equals 1/3 of length of head. J/^/es— rather high up, 

 and 2 to 3 diameters from end of snout : jaws of equal length in front, or the lower slightly the longer. Cleft 

 of mouth extends above 1 diameter of the orbit behind its posterior margin. Gill-opening a slit at the side of 

 the pectoral fin. Teeth — in a single row directed backwards, pointed. Fins — dorsal slightly developed, 

 it commences about the length of the head posterior to the anus : the anal arises a short distance behind the 

 orifice of anus: both fins are inter«pted in their middle, but posteriorly developed and join the caudal. 

 Pectoral equals about one-sixth of its distance from the snout. Lateral-line — distinct. Colours— coppery, olive, 

 or even purplish above, becoming silvery underneath : some black dots. Vertebras 90 + 14. 



Murcena vamos, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 24, 364, may be the Moringua linearis, Gray, Zool. Misc. 

 p. 9, and Gray and Hardw. 111. Ind. Zool. and Pachyurtis linearis, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 336, it is placed by Dr. 

 Giinther as a doubtful synonym of Moringua lunibricoidea, Richardson. McClelland, under Ptyobranchus 

 linearis, C. J. N. H. v, p. 222, observes, " I suspect this species is fabricated from a drawing in the Buchanan 

 collection, Botanical Gardens, Calcutta, in which the dorsal and anal are both represented by mistake, winding 

 in a spiral form round the end of the tail, which has been accidentally twisted." Buchanan says of M. vamos, 

 head nearly twice as wide as body. Upper jaw blunt, projecting far beyond the lower, which is sharp pointed. 

 Nostrils tubular. Vertical fins confluent : pectorals present. Dull green above, dirty white beneath. From 

 the estuaries of the Ganges, where it is said to attain 7^ cubits in length. 



Habitat. — Estuaries of the Ganges to the Malay Archipelago : attaining at least 22 inches in length. 



2. Moringua macrocephala. 



Aphthahnichthys macrocephalus, Bleeker, Ned. Tyds. Dierk. i, p. 165, and Atl. Ich. iv, p. 17, t. 147, f. 2. 

 Moringua maerocej-diala, Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 92. 



