ICHTHYOLOGY. 331 



with slight fleshy very short pectinated gills, like the 

 teeth of a saw. 



"There are five branchial rays on each side, the first 

 larger and stronger than the others, and isolated from 

 them, standing considerably in front. The branchial rays 

 are strong and bony. 



"There are no scales distinguishable in the skin, even 

 with the microscope. 



"The colour above is dusky-brown, minutely dotted 

 with brownish black, the lower parts are of a somewhat 

 lighter shade. 



"The length of the specimen is about 20 inches. 



"The stomach is an expansion of the oesophagus into 

 a long spindle-shaped, wide tube, tapering equally at 

 either end, and contracting gradually behind into nar- 

 row intestine, which again gradually expands almost to 

 the size of the stomach ; the whole, including the oeso- 

 phagus being one continuous straight tube. There seems 

 to be no pyloric valve, the contraction of the first por- 

 tion of the intestine answering the purpose of one." 

 Ophicardia Phayreana. 



cls^g^so ? OOlOJlSlu 



SERPENT-TRUNKED EEL. 



Another eel from Arracan M'Clelland placed in his 

 new genus ophisternon. 



Ophisternon hepaticus. 



CONGER EEL. 



JVTClelland says there are no proper conger eels in 

 India, the species that was referred to that genus by Bu- 

 channan, forming the type of a new genus, which he has 

 named mureenesox, the species of which he says, n occupy 

 an equivalent place in the East, with the congers of the 

 "Western world." There are probably several species on 

 the Coast. Captain Lloyd met with one four feet long 

 ofifthe islands on the Arracan coast. 

 Muramcsox exodentata. 

 Oil u)£o5jgu]o8ii 



