84 



voyage, as his authority, but on turning to that work I 

 find only the following sentence : " Amongst these were 

 some large eels, beautifully spotted, which, when followed, 

 would raise themselves out of the water, and endeavour 

 with an open mouth, to bite their pursuers." (Voy. to 

 Pacif by Capt. Cook, Gierke and Gore, 1776-80, vol. i. p. 

 219. Lond. 1784). 



MuR.ENA PRATBERNON, Quoy et Gaimard. 



Muricna prathemon, Qiioy et Gaimard, Voy. de Freycinet, PI. 52, 



fig- 



Fourteen marginal nasal teeth of a stoutly subulate form, 

 with much smaller ones not forming a regular exterior se- 

 ries, but mostly standing in the intervals of the taller ones. 

 Two strong, stoutly subulate mesial teeth in the fore part 

 of the disk; followed at an interval by three small, com- 

 pressed, and not veiy pungent vomerine teeth in one row. 

 Palatine teeth uniserial, nineteen or twenty on each side, 

 lanceolate, reflex, and moderately acute. Mandibular 

 teeth at the end of the jaw, about six on each side, simi- 

 lar to the principal nasal ones, with much smaller teeth of 

 several sizes exterior to their bases, in two or three rows, 

 being nine or ten in number on each limb. The lateral 

 mandibular teeth are like the palatine ones. 



Snout obtuse. Eye rather small, and situated somewhat 

 before the middle of the gape. Posterior nostrils not tu- 

 bular. The origin of the dorsal, some of whose rays are 

 an inch-and-a-half long, cannot be ascertained, owing to 

 the state of the specimen. Ground colour of the skin pur- 

 pli.sh brown, with numerous round, black dots, the size of 

 a small pea on the upper part of the head. Round the 

 gill-opening the spots assume various forms from the con- 

 fluence of two, three, or more. Farther back the dark 

 marks have the shape of imperfect rings or stars, and to- 

 wards the tail the size of the compound spots increases. 

 In the middle of the tail they have considerable resem- 

 blance to the spots of M. Helena, the purplish ground co- 

 lour forming a mesh work round the spots, and perforating 

 their disks. The under jaw and fore part of the belly have 

 the ground colour varied by only a kw faint, small spots. 

 There is, however, no white on the fish, nor any pale 

 spots on the edges of the fins, such as exist in M. helena, 

 to which the species nearly approaches in many respects. 

 A large black ring surrounds the gill-opening, and the 

 corners of the mouth are also black, the palate and gullet 

 being dark brown. The specimen in the British Museum 

 measures 74 inches, but it has been skinned in such a 

 way that the exact position of the vent cannot be ascer- 

 tained. The following measurements of a recent example 

 were taken by J. B. Jukes, Esq. " Length 57 inches. 

 From the snout to the anus 30 inches. From anus to tip 

 of tail 28 inches. Girth at the gill-opening 13 inches. 

 Girth of the body where thickest 17 inches. Girth at 

 the vent ISg^ inches. 



Hab. Darnley Island (Jukes). (Quoy el Gaimard). 



MUR.ENA TENEBROSA, Solander. 

 Murmna tenehrosa. Banks et Solander, MSS. 



The British Museum possesses a specimen of this fish 

 preserved in spirits, which was obtained from the College 

 of Surgeons, and was most probably the individual taken 

 on Cook's first voyage, at the Society Islands. The na- 

 tive name is written " Epui,''' or " Ebui." 



Nasal teeth pretty tall, rather widely set, subulate, and 

 very acute, in one series forming a semicircle round the 

 end of the jaw, the front teeth being the lowest. Three 

 tall, subulate and slightly recurved mesial teeth on the 

 disk. Followed after an interval by nine short, acute vo- 

 merine teeth, disposed in one slightly irregular row. Pa- 

 latine teeth 17, uniserial, tapering, and very acute ; the 

 four anterior ones shortest, the middle of the series tallest, 

 and all slightly reflex. Each limb of the mandible is 

 armed by sixteen or eighteen teeth, resembling the pala- 

 tine ones, with three tall subulate interior ones at the fore 

 end, making there two rows. 



This is a slender, considerably compressed Mureena, 

 has plain posterior nostrils, the dorsal commencing well 

 forward on the nape before the gill-openings, and the anus 

 situated about one twenty-sixth part the whole length 

 before the middle of the fish. The tail is acute. The 

 colours have totally faded. Solander's short description 

 which mentions them is as follows : — 



" Iris castanea. Pupilla nigra, annulo luteo. Pori 

 capitis concolores cum corpore. Tola e sordide purpurea 

 fusca,fasciis macitlisque traiisversalihus, latis, numerosis, 

 nigricantibus ; tarn obscurus est piscis tit prima intuitu 

 via; inter color em corporis et fascias differentia videtur. 

 Denies in ma.villis et fauce uti in antecedente fM. ato- 

 mariayi. Nullum autem labia faucis videre licuit." — 

 Solander, 1. c. 



Length 13'5 inches. To anus 622. To gill-opening 

 1-62. 



Hab. Polynesia. 



MUR.ENA LiTA, Richardson. 



Nasal marginal teeth fourteen, increasing gradually in 

 height as they recede from the symphysis. A single me- 

 sial tooth only is left on the disk, which has perhaps 

 received injury, and a second marginal row may have ori- 

 ginally existed to correspond with the double row at the 

 end of the mandible. Vomerine teeth short and rather 

 obtuse, disposed in a single row anteriorly, but the two 

 last pairs are in two uneven rows. Palatine teeth eleven, 

 uniserial, compressed, subulate, very acute, and moderately 

 reflex, diminishing gradually from the second, which is 

 the tallest, to the corner of the mouth. Mandibular 

 teeth partially biserial. There are fourteen on each limb, 

 compressed, subulate and acute, tallest and more widely 

 set near tlie symphysis, and decreasing gradually as they 

 approach the corner of the mouth. At the fore end of the 

 jaw thei-e is an exterior row of six sliort, rather closely set, 

 more obtuse cutting teeth. 



