FAMILY, X— MUR^NID^. 675 



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

 than tlie trunk. Eyes — small, about li or If diameters from end of snout, to which it is nearer than to the angle 

 of the mouth. Extent of cleft of mouth equal from 2^ to 2| in the length of the head. The gill-opening wider 

 than the eye. Anterior naRal tubes short, the posterior nostrils with a raised edge in adults. Teeth — pointed, 

 in a band in either jaw, the inner row the larger : no large canines : in a single row in vomer, the anterior two 

 of which are rather enlarged and acicular. Fins — the vertical fins only exist round the end of the tail, the fin 

 rays being rudimentary. Colours — of a brownish gray marbled all over with arborescent dark lines. The 

 variety G. xanthoptenis has the fins yellow. 



" Habitat. — Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. The example figured is 103 inches in length. 



4 R 2 



