Solaiider describes a Murcena which he observed among 

 the Society Islands, where it is named "Eaulha" or 

 "Eawr'ha," which may prove to be this fish. I am, how- 

 ever, prevented from adopting his specific name by the 

 spots in our fish haying no transverse elongation nor any 

 bar-like arrangement. His description is : — 



" MuE;ENA ATOMARiA. P. pect. nulltB. Tola glauca 

 irrorata atoitiis fuscis fasciisque mimerosissimis interrup- 

 iis sen maculis transversalibus dorsalibus, lateralibus et 

 (ibdomitialibiis seriatim dispositis. Macul<B pinnis ex- 

 tendunttir. Nares tubulosce. Puncta in capite aliquot 

 alba, porosa : 2 inter ociilos, 2 supra nares, pauca nirinque 

 prope latera maxillae superioris ; circiter 6 ulrinque se- 

 cunda maxillam inferiorem. Denies lanceolati fin max- 

 illisj parum rejlexi, compressi acutissimi, Jixi ; ires vel 

 quatuor in exieriori parte palati, rejlexibiles ; nulli in 

 fauce, sed ad interiores fauces quasi lahra dua antrorsum 

 atienuata, supra et inferne ambo dentibus obsiia. Iris 

 ex argenieo plumbea. Pupilla nigra antiulo atireo.''' — 

 Solander, MSS., p. 28. 



The same naturalist mentions another Murxna, taken 

 in the same neighbourhood, named " Epui," which he 

 thinks may be a variety of atoniaria. 



" MuR^NA ERYTHROPTERA, ociiU parvi plumbeo-fusci. 

 Pupilla nigra. Annulus htius intense miniatus. Iris 

 griseo-ccerulescens. Macula nigra circa orbitas, postice 

 latior. Totus piscisfuscus immaculatus. Pori laterales 

 capiiis prope maxillam plures ; tres ulrinque albi et 

 puncii 2 porosi albi inter oculos. Pinna sordide rnbes- 

 cenies. Forte var. M. atomariae p. 28, nullce autem ato- 

 ?»<^p."— Solander, MSS., p. 102. 



MuE^NA isiNGLEEXA. Richardson. 



Muieetia isingleena, Richardson, Iclith. of Voy. of Sulphur, p. 108, 

 pi. xlviii. fig. 1. Idem, Report on the Fishes of China to the Br. Assoc. 

 Icon .—Reeves, 237, Hardw. ined. 305, in Mus. Brit. 



About ten uniserial, marginal nasal teeth, subulate and 

 acute, with no small ones intervening. Three tall ones on 

 the mesial line of the disk, and one row of very short, 

 acute vomerine teeth. Eleven or twelve reflex palatine 

 teeth, the three heading the series smaller, and within 

 tliem two taller, slender teeth, forming the second row. 

 The mandible has ten or eleven lateral teeth, with four 

 larger ones more widely set at the fore end of the limb. 



The specimen after maceration in spirits has a dilute 

 brown ground colour, paler on the belly, and is marked 

 with blackish spots, varying in size from that of a pea to a 

 small bean, mostly round, but in many places, from aggre- 

 gation of several spots, of an irregular form. The head is 

 covered with spots of the size of a pea, in which it diff'ers 

 from bill lata, which has only a few small dots on the 

 head. The furrows on the throat are not black, and the 

 spots are scattered over the belly, in which respect also it 

 differs from bullata. No white edges to the fins. 



Eye rather small. Posterior nostril not tubular. Gape 

 of the mouth moderate. Dorsal commencing before the 

 gill-opening, and the fold of the skin which encloses it 



extending along the nape. Anns very little before the 

 middle of the fish. 



Length of the specimen in spirits 16'4 inches. To anus 

 8 inches. To gill-opening 2 inches. Length of a dried 

 skin 47 inches. 



Had. Sea of China, near Canton. 



MuR^NA bullata. Richardson. 



Marginal nasal teeth about eight tall, subulate ones, 

 with several small ones between each pair ; three teeth as 

 usual on the mesial line, and a series of acute vomerine 

 teeth, mostly concealed by the swelling of the soft parts. 

 Palatine teeth sixteen compressed-subulate, very acute, 

 reflex, the four anterior ones smaller, and within them, in 

 a second series, three tall, setaceous teeth. Sixteen late- 

 ral teeth on each limb of the mandible, resembling the pa- 

 latine ones, and three tall, subulate ones next the sym- 

 physis, in the same row. 



Eye moderately large. Posterior nostrils not tubular. 

 Dorsal commencing before the gill-opening. Anus about 

 one-fourteenth of the whole length before the middle of 

 the fish. 



General colour of the fish after maceration in spirits, 

 lavender purple, varied by about four rows of round, black 

 .spots, as big as swan shot, one of the rows being on the 

 dorsal : the lowest row is of smaller spots than the others, 

 and none of them are perfectly regular in their distribu- 

 tion. Some of the spots are conjugate, and at the tip of 

 the tail they form bars. The inside of the mouth is pur- 

 ple. The furrows of the throat and cheeks are black. 

 Edges of the dorsal and anal pale. Belly not spotted. 



This fish is spotted much like M. isingleena, and it may 

 be merely the young of that species, or a local variety', the 

 dentition being similar, but as there is a diff'erence in the 

 general tint, and the spots are fewer, more simple and re- 

 gular, the gape of the mouth larger, and the anus a little 

 farther forward, I have given it a specific name. Length 

 12"4 inches. To anus 535. To gill-opening r46 inches. 

 Hab. Sea of Borneo (Sir Edward Belcher). 



MuR^NA STELLiFER. Richardson. 



Nasal teeth ten in one series, subulate, very acute, 

 slightly compressed at the tips, and pretty tall. Three 

 slender mesial teeth, the second and third very tall. One 

 row of very short, moderately acute vomerine teeth. Pala- 

 tine teeth biserial, twelve in the outer row, gradually aug- 

 menting in size towards the comer of the mouth, acute, 

 lanceolate : inner row four or five slender, tall teeth. 

 Mandible furnished on each limb with a series of about 

 twenty or twenty-one lanceolate and very acute teeth, all 

 reflex, the anterior ones smaller, but as closely set as the 

 lateral ones. 



Anus about one-twenty-fourth part of the length ante- 

 terior to the middle of the fish. Fins conspicuous. Dor- 

 sal commencing before the gill-opening. Tail compressed, 

 tapering, rather acute. 



