91 



natisj, mo.v pone caput incipiflnx, dein per totmn dorsum 

 extenditur, cui adiiectiliir el itentiit subtiis ad aman us- 

 que revertiiur : ipsa caiida valde coitipressa est et obtusi- 

 nscula." 



" Color totiits piscis spadiceus, maculis parvis obscurio- 

 ribus inequaUbus sed non transversalibm, et punctis sen 

 guttis albis numerosis undiqne adspersis." 



" Diani. Long. 30 unc. Perpend. 2^. Horizont. U." 



Nasal teeth in two series, so closely approximated that 

 they appear, until narrowly examined, to be in but one. 

 The outer row is composed of about nine, very short, 

 stoutly subulate acute teeth, alternating with an inner row 

 of eight taller, conico-subulate, very acute ones, which are 

 irregular in height, and variously recurved and reflex. 

 The mesial line of the disk supports three tall stoutly sub- 

 ulate teeth, and on each side of the hindmost of these 

 there is a tooth equally tall, and almost filling the space 

 between it and the marginal rows. There are also seve- 

 ral smaller and shorter teeth scattered over the disk, so 

 that in this species the nasal bone is pre-eminently denli- 

 ferous. Vomerine teeth eleven, uniserial, short, and com- 

 pressed at the tips, but not pointed. Palatine teeth 

 biserial; the outer row consisting of fom-teen short, slightl}' 

 recurved and reflex teeth, which diminish gradually in size 

 from the fifth or tallest to the corner of the mouth : the in- 

 ner row is some distance from the outer one, and reaches 

 nearly as far back ; it is formed by eight taller and more 

 distant subulate teeth. Each limb of the mandible is 

 armed by about twenty-one acute teeth, all in one row, 

 mostly recurved and slightly reflex. The anterior teeth 

 are rather the longest, but there is no abrupt transition in 

 the series. 



Head small, gape large, with the eye placed decidedly 

 before its middle. Posterior nostrils not tubular. Anus 

 exactly in the middle of the length. The specimen is so 

 much stuffed that the origin of the dorsal cannot be made 

 out, but posteriorly the fin appears to have been high. 

 The anal is sufficiently conspicuous. 



The ground colour of the dried skin is dark purplish- 

 brown, and it is regularly marked by pale round dots, the 

 largest not exceeding the size of the head of a small pin. 

 The dots are biggest and most crowded on the head and 

 fore part of the body, where they occupy fully more space 

 than the ground colour. Posteriorly they are farther apart, 

 and are surrounded by dark borders, and towards the end 

 of the tail they are not only more distant but also decidedly- 

 less. They are smaller throughout than the spots of 

 punctata of Schneider, and still more so than those of 

 pavonina. 



Length 40-25 inches. To anus 20-15 inches. To gill- 

 opening 5-5 inches. 



Hab. Madeira. Brazils. 



MuR.ENA THYRSOiDEA. Piichardson. 



MurtBna thyrsoidea, Richardson, Ichth. of Voy. of Sulphur, p. Ill, 

 pi. xlix. fig. 1. Report on the Fishes of China, lo Brit. Association. 



Twelve nasal teeth in one series, moderately high, rather 

 "closely set, conico-subulate, not very acute. Three tall, 



slender teeth on the mesial line. Vomerine teeth biserial, 

 short, not very acute ; first tooth of each row the largest. 

 The rows arc farthest apart anteriorly, and approximate 

 posteriorly. Palatine teeth biserial ; the outer row consti- 

 tuted by ten much shorter compressed teeth ; the inner row 

 by eight more slender and taller subulate ones, which ex- 

 tend as far as the outer row. Each limb of the mandible 

 is armed by eighteen or nineteen conical acute teeth, with 

 an interior row at the fore end of the jaw. 



Body high and considerably compressed, with a deep 

 dorsal which commences before the gill-opening, the loose 

 fold of skin which invests it extending forwards to the 

 head. End of the tail rounded. Posterior nostrils not 

 tubular. The reticulations of the skin are coarser than in 

 most other species. Anus one-thirteenth part of the whole 

 length before the middle of the fish. 



The colour is a dark purplish-brown, with irregular zig- 

 zag lines of a pale colour, forming reticulations. The 

 figure in the Ichthyology of the Voyage of the Sulphur 

 was taken from a drawing executed under the eye of Mr. 

 Reeves, at Canton, but the specimen presented by that 

 gentleman to the British Museum has much coarser pale 

 lines, with dilatations at the points of intersection. 



Length 26 inches. To anus 11 inches. To gill-opening 

 2-6 inches. 



Hab. Sea of China. Estuaries. 



MuR^NA SATHETE. Hamilt. Buchan. 



Murdiia sathete, Hamilton Buch., Ganges p. 17 et p. .303. Icon. 

 Harchv. iued. No. 308, upper figure. 



Nasal teeth twelve or fourteen in one marginal series, 

 each curved backwards so acutely as to form a slight notch 

 in the middle of the posterior side ; their cusps being 

 compressed but not pointed. Two stout conical and not 

 acute teeth stand on the mesial line of the disk, and the 

 vomerine teeth are disposed in two lines, which coalesce 

 behind, each line containing six or seven small rounded 

 teeth, headed by one larger than the rest. Palatine teeth 

 in two rows ; the outer row composed of twelve, smaller 

 than the nasal teeth, and more closely set, but of similar 

 form and curvature, having their cusps, however, more 

 compressed and acute edged : the inner row contains ten 

 or eleven taller and more slender cylindrical teeth, with 

 acute but somewhat oblique cusps. The mandible is armed 

 on the two posterior thirds of each limb by eleven or 

 twelve similar to the exterior palatines, and on the anterior 

 third by two rows; the outer row consisting of eight coni- 

 cal or cylindrical and rather obtuse teeth on each limb, 

 smaller than the lateral ones ; and the inner row of about 

 five rather longer than the latter, but similar in form. 



Tip of the tail rounded. Dorsal commencing about 

 half-way between the gill-opening and the nape. The co- 

 lours of the specimen in the British Museum, which is a 

 dried skin, have faded, but the drawing exhibits a brown 

 fish with dull yellow throat and belly. The lateral line is 

 strongly shown by a series of silvery dots, and the dorsal is 

 grayish-purple. In the dried skin some of the pores 



Q 2 



