0G8 PHTSOSTOMI. 



C. — Teeth generally ohtuse or molariform. 



17. Murmna zehrn. Tail 1/3 of tbe total length. Brown, with from 30 to 100 narrow white or yellow 

 ring.s. Red Sea, East Coast of Africa to the ilalay Archipelago and the Pacific. 



18. Murmna nehulosa. Tail a little shorter than the trunk. From 20 to 25 dark blotches along the side 

 with some white spots in the centre of each. Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans. 



19. Murwtici, pnhjzona. Tail 1/3 longer than the trunk. Brown with from 25 to 30 narrow, yellow, whole 

 or half bands. Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans. 



20. Blurmna nigra. Tail about as long as trunk. Black. Andamans. 



A. — Teeth puinted : the posterior nostrils not tubular. 



a. — Tail and trunk of about the same length. 



1. Mursena meleagris. 



Shaw, Nat. Misc. p. 220 and General Zool. iv, pt. i, p. 32 ; Richards. Voy. Erebus and Terror, Fish. p. 

 93 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 100. 



Thyrsoidea chlorostigma and meleagris, Kaup, Apodal Fish, pp. 89, 91. 



iliirama chlorostigma, Bleeker, Fische Java, p. 160. 



Gymnothorax chlorostigm n , Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 97, t. clxxviii, f. 2.^ 



Gymnothorax meleagris, Bleeker, Fauna ]\Iadagas. pt. iv, Poissons, p. 73. 



Length of head 3^ to 3§ m the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail rather longer 

 than the trunk. Eyes — small, 2-;: in the length of the snout : anterior nasal tubes very short. Length of cleft 

 of mouth equal to 2'| in the length of the head. The mouth can be completely closed. Gill-opening narrow. 

 TggtJi in two rows, except on the vomer and side of the mandibles. Canines rather small. Colours — brownish- 

 black, covered with numerous yellow dots that are smaller than the eye. 



Habitat. From the East Coast of Africa, the Seychelles and the Mauritius throughout the seas of 



India to the Malay Archipelago and the Pacific. It attains a large size. 



2. Murrena tile, Plate CLXX, fig. 4. 



Murcenophis tile, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 18, 363. 



Strophidon* literata, punctata and maculata, Cal. Journ. Nat. Hist, v, pp. 186, 187, 202, 203, 215, and 



pi. vii, figs. 2 and 3. pi. viii, fig. 1. 



Murmna vermieulata and gracilis. Richards. Erebus and Terror, Fish. p. 92 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 78. 



Murmna punctata and literata, Bleeker, Murasn. p. 42. 



Murmna tile. Cantor, Catal. p. 331 ; Bleeker, Beng. pp. 78, 159, and Borneo, p. 427; Giinther, Catal. 



viii, p. 112. 



Murmna literata, Bleeker, Beng. p. 78. 



Thyrsoidea tile, Kaup, Apod. p. 93, f. 66. 



Gymnothorax tile, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 97, t. clsx^mi, fig. 1, and Fauna Madagas. pt. iv, Poiss. p. 73 ; 

 Kner, Novara Fische, p. 335. 



Length of head 3f to 4|: in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail rather shorter 

 or abont the same leno-th as the trunk. Eyes — rather small, about 2 to 2| diameters from the end of snout and 

 situated slio-htly ncarei' the angle of the mouth than to the end of the snout : length of cleft of mouth equals 

 about 3i^ in' that of the head : anterior nasal tubes short. Gill-opening about as wide as the eye. Teeth— in two 

 rows, except the lateral ones of the lower jaw : canines small. Colours— oi a brownish yellow, or greenish, 

 Ijecoming lio-hter beneath : the body covered with small white spots, specks or marks, which sometimes have a 

 dark border, or they may be entirely absent in adults. 



McClelland remarks that <S'. literata has D. 334, A. 182 ; S. punctata D. 392, A. 190 ; whilst 8. maculata 

 is a copy of Ham. Buch. figure of Murmnophis tile, and is probably the young of S punctata. 



Habitat. — Bourbon, seas and estuaries of Bengal to the Malay Archipelago. It ascends tidal rivers and 

 is common in the Hooghly at Calcutta, where it attains about 2 feet in length. The example figured was from 

 Calcutta. 



3. Mursena satliete. 



Murmjwphis sathete. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 17, 363. 



Eycodontislongicaudata, McClelland, Cal. J. N. H. v, 187, pi. viii, f. 2. 



Strophidon longicaudata, McClelland, 1. c. p. 215. 



Murmna sathete, Richards. Erebus and Terror, Fish. p. 91 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 78 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 331 ; 

 Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 126. 



Thyrsoidea sathete, Kaup, Apod. p. 86. 



Length of head 4j to 5 in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail rather longer 

 (considerably says McClelland) than the trunk. Eyes — small, 2| to 21 diameters from the end of the snout, 

 2 apart, and midway between the angle of the mouth and the end of the snout. Length of the cleft of the 



* Misprinted I/ycodontis, see errata in C. J. N. H. v, p. 202. 



