94 



sent in the specimen. Palatine teeth nine, in one unusually 

 short row, the three central ones hooked and shaped like the 

 nasal ones, but much smaller ; the three anterior and three 

 posterior ones still smaller and cylindrical, with not very 

 acute points. Vomerine teeth in two rows, well separated 

 anteriorly, but meeting behind ; each row containing about 

 nine short cylindrical teeth, with rounded cusps. These 

 rows are twice as long as the palatine row. The lower jaw 

 is armed with two rows of teeth, the outer one consisting 

 of small low teeth with flatly rounded cusps. The inner 

 row commences anteriorly with two taller and stouter cy- 

 lindrical teeth, having slightly compressed cusps, followed 

 by two teeth still more tall, which are strongly hooked 

 back, and have acute cusps and posterior basal lobes ; 

 after which there is a close set, even series of cylindrical 

 teeth, having rounded or slightly compressed cusps, con- 

 siderably above those of the outer row. The dentition of 

 this species has a resemblance to that of M. variegata, 

 but differs in having the strongly hooked acute teeth. The 

 corresponding teeth oi variegata are more obtuse, and but 

 very slightly curved. In the only specimen we have seen, 

 which is a dried one, the vent is about one twenty-fourth 

 part of the whole length past the middle. 



The markings are well represented in Rlippell's figure 

 of M. ophif:, but as he describes the teeth as cutting, which 

 scarcely agrees with our specimen, I cannot feel confident 

 in quoting him. M. similis, p. 83, which has subulate and 

 lanceolate teeth, closely resembles both this fish and Riip- 

 jjell's drawing in its markings, but its gape is considerably 

 larger. The ground colour of the dried skin of the British 

 Museum specimen has a yellowish tint, and is mottled 

 with small brownish-black specks, of various forms and 

 often confluent, and by two rows of large black marks, 

 which are more or less dotted with specks of the pale 

 ground colour. There are about twenty-one or twenty-two 

 spots in each row, the rows touching those of the opposite 

 sides of the fish on its dorsal and ventral surfaces. The 

 edge of the anal is pale. The vent is about a twenty- 

 fourth part of the whole length past the middle. 



Length 25 J inches. 



Hab. Mauritius. Red Sea ? 



MUR.ENA VARIEGATA. J. R. Forstcr. 



Seha Thes. fi9, f. 1, 17. 



Muraiia r/eof/raphica, Banks et Solander, MSS., 176S), Icon. Pict. 

 Pjrkinsonii, 3. (" Pepedlio.") 



Echidna rariegata. Icon. ined. Georg. Forster, Bibl. Banks. 172. 

 An. 1777. 



" Echidna variegata, J. R Forster, Enchiridion, 31, Genus 5. An. 

 1788." Id. Animal cura Liclitenst. p. 181. An. 1844. 



Murana nebnlosa, Tliunb. dissert, p. 7, tab. 1, f. 2. An. 1789. 



Gymnothorax nebulosus, Bl. Scbn. p. 528. An. 1801. 



Gymnothorax echidna. Id. p. 626. 



Murana, Hardw. Icon. ined. Mus. Brit. pi. 300. 



Plate XLVII., figs. 1^5, and figs. 11— IG. 



About twelve marginal, scarcely acute nasal teeth, some 

 of them very slightly curved backwards, ranged in an oval, 

 which is completed behind by the voiuerine teeth. The 



mesial line of the disk is occupied by two stout, conical, 

 subacute teeth, rather taller than the others ; and the vomer 

 is armed by two rows of low teeth, having slightly com- 

 pressed cusps. The rows meet in a point posteriorly, and 

 diverge anteriorly, on the angles of the vomer, so as to fill 

 up the posterior part of the nasal oval. Palatine teeth 

 about nine, small, very closely set, in a short even row, 

 and having somewhat compressed or bluntly chisel-shaped, 

 somewhat oblique cusps. Mandible armed laterally, on 

 each limb, by twelve or thirteen even teeth, with flattish 

 or rounded crowns and cylindrical bodies. In some spe- 

 cimens an exterior row runs along the whole limb, in 

 others it is shorter, and in others again it can be traced 

 only in the anterior quarter of the jaw. The tooth next 

 the symphysis, standing in this exterior row, is larger than 

 the rest, and is followed by two or three taller conical in- 

 ner teeth, seemingly a continuation of the principal lateral 

 row, but placed wider apart. 



This is either an abundant species, or from its beauty it 

 is sought for by collectors, for many examples of it exist 

 in Museums. Great variety exists in the form and distri- 

 bution of the spots in different individuals. The specimen 

 figured in Plate 47, fig. 1, after long maceration in spirits, 

 has a pale yellowish-gray or cream-coloured ground tint, 

 with two rows of purplish-brown spots. These spots radiate 

 into irregularly tortuous, divaricating, forked branchlets, 

 and their disks are pierced by one or many dots of the 

 ground colour. The upper row, consisting of smaller 

 spots, runs on the dorsal fin and top of the back, the lower 

 one on the sides, and they coalesce in a solitary spot at 

 the end of the tail. Their number varies from twenty to 

 twenty-four in each row, and in the specimen we have 

 figured a third row is indicated by two or three spots on 

 the belly. The ground colour is further varied on the 

 back by many detached lines and specks, bearing some 

 resemblance to Arabic characters. Solander observed this 

 variety in the sea, at Ulhietea, and describes its colours as 

 follows : " M. GEOGRAPHiCA, tota alba, pnnclis maculis li- 

 nearibus rinilisijue oniaia. Rivuli cotijluentes in areas 

 rotundas Jiavedine intmixtas. Caput supra gibbosum. 

 Iris aureo-lutea. Piipilla nigra. Maxlllce circa os al- 

 b(c immaculatte. Foramina superne in naso tubulosa, 

 Ititea : foramina eliant interocularia lutescentia. Piscis 

 certe pulvher.'''' Parkinson's figure is unfinished, but suffi- 

 ciently characteristic. The name, in the language of the 

 Society Isles, is written in the MSS., "Pi]jirho," " Pipiro," 

 and " Pipirha." Hardwicke's drawing also represents this 

 variety. 



The individual represented in figure 1 1 has three rows 

 of spots, the lower row, which ceases about half-way be- 

 tween the vent and the point of the tail, being composed 

 of spots which do not branch like the others. The ground 

 colour is also everywhere thicklj- marked with black 

 specks, except on the belly, where the specks are kyf. 

 The under surface of the belly, before and behind the vent, 

 is represented in figure 15. The Forster's observed this 

 variety at Otaheitee, and George Forster's drawing differs 

 only in showing fewer ventral spots. The native naiue of 

 " Pipiro " is written on the drawing, and in the Descript. 

 Animal, it is said to be also called " Boohee." The colour 

 is described thus : " Color totius corporis littescenti albus. 



