95 



lineis, piinctis, maculisque fiisco-nigris variegatus. Ab- 

 domen album, maculis fuscis sub/asciatum.^' (Forster 

 lib. citat.) 



Of fourteen specimens of these varieties, no two ex- 

 actly resemble one another in their markings. The dorsal 

 begins before the gill-opening in all, and the anus is nearly 

 median, being in one a little before tlie middle of the fish, 

 but in most a little behind, not however exceeding a 

 twenty-fourth part of the whole length. As in all the blunt- 

 toothed Mur<eti(B, the gape of the mouth is comparatively 

 small. 



The length of the specimens varies from 5 to 20 inches. 



Hab. Indian Ocean (Hardw.) Chinese Sea (Belcher). 

 Coasts of Australia (Bynoe). Poylynesian Archipelago 

 (Solander, Forster). 



MUR.ENA POLYZONA. Richardson. 



Murana polyzona, Richards^ 

 pi. 55, f. 11-14. 



Ichth. of Voy. of Sulplmv, p. 112, 



teeth biserial; the outer row composed of minute 

 rounded teeth ; the inner one of taller, rather bluntish, co- 

 nical ones. Two conical teeth on the mesial line of the 

 disk, somewhat taller than the marginal ones. Vomerine 

 teeth anteriorly biserial, posteriorly covering a wider sur- 

 face, with three or more irregular rows. Palatine teeth 

 biserial, the rows coalescing behind : outer row consisting 

 of very minute, low, flattish teeth ; inner one of taller, 

 slenderly cylindrical teeth, having moderately acnte cusps : 

 there are seven or eight in each row. Mandibular teeth 

 biserial ; the teeth of the outer row being by much the 

 smallest, and gradually becoming less as they approach 

 the corner of the month ; those which form the inner row 

 taller, with conical cusps, two or three near the fore end of 

 the jaw being larger than the rest. The outer row of each 

 limb contains eighteen or nineteen teeth, the inner one 

 about twelve. 



Gape small ; margin of the posterior nostril tumid, the 

 anterior nostril being, as usual, tubular : body much com- 

 pressed, and the anus situated about the thirty-fifth part of 

 the whole length before the middle of the fish. 



The ground colour is black, with from twenty-six to 

 twenl3'-nine yellow rings, which dilate a little on the ven- 

 tral surface, but do not actually close there. 



Length 9;35 inches. To anus 4-41 inches. To gill- 

 opening 115. 



Hab. Unknown. 



MUR.ENA catenata. Bloch. 



Gymnothorax catenatus, Bl. t. 415. Schn. p. 528. 



Nasal teeth biserial, conical, bluntish, about twelve in 

 each row, set alternately, and inclosing a horse-shoe-shaped 

 area, the posterior ones being the stoutest, but none of them 

 high. From two to four stout conical teeth on the mesial 

 line ; and in one colourless specimen, these teeth, and 



those of the inner marginal row, are so stout as nearly to 

 fill the entire disk. Vomerine teeth biserial, small and 

 rounded, of different sizes. Palatine teeth also biserial, 

 twelve or thirteen in each row ; the outer ones low, even, 

 and bluntish, scarcely rising above the soft parts ; the in- 

 ner ones higher, conical or conico-subulate, and not so 

 closely set : the teeth of both rows smaller than the nasal 

 ones. Mandibular teeth likewise biserial, each limb having 

 twenty-two in the outer row, which are closely set, and 

 deeply imbedded in the soft parts ; those of the inner row 

 are a little higher, but equally blunt. The two rows are 

 contiguous posteriorly, but separate a little towards the 

 front of the jaw, where the inner teeth are stouter, and 

 somewhat wider apart. 



Posterior nostrils having slightly raised borders. Anus 

 a little posterior to the middle of the fish. Dorsal com- 

 mencing a short way before the gill-opening. 



The fish is crossed by about twenty-six narrow yellow 

 stripes, which pass over the dorsal and down the sides. 

 Three of the stripes placed before the gill-opening form 

 meshes with each other, and some of the posterior ones 

 are interrupted, their upper and under halves alternating. 

 They are most regular before the anus, where they slope 

 forwards as they descend to the belly, and more irregular 

 and wider on the tail. All of them are more or less spot- 

 ted with the blackish ground colour. 



Length •24'5 inches. To anus 13'5 inches. To gill- 

 opening .3"5 inches. 



Hab. Bermudas. Caribbean Sea. South America. 



GYMNOMURiENA ZEBRA. Shaw. 



Zebra eel, Shaw Nat. Misc. 101. 



Gymnothorax zebra, Bl. Schn. p. 528. 



La qymnomurwne cercUe, Lac. v. p. 649, pi. 19, f. 4. An. 1803. 



All the teeth low and flatly rounded, the larger ones 

 having generally one or two grooves, with an intervening, 

 acute, transverse ridge on their crowns. Nasal teeth bi- 

 serial ; the outer row composed of fourteen or sixteen very 

 low teeth; the inner row of twelve or fourteen consider- 

 ably larger and more prominent ones. These rows enclose 

 a circular area, which is filled by six round teeth in two 

 rows. The dental surface of the vomer has an oval shape, 

 and there are eight rows of teeth in its middle, which nar- 

 row off to two before and behind. The anterior ones are 

 in contact with the mesial nasal ones. The palatine teeth 

 reach only about half-way to the corner of the mouth, the 

 space beyond them being filled by a smooth thick fold of 

 skin. On the mandible the teeth extend to the extreme 

 corner of the mouth, being opposed posteriorly to the fold 

 of skin just mentioned. They stand in four rows before the 

 comer of the mouth, narrow to three near the middle of the 

 limb, and on the anterior third of the jaw form only two dis- 

 tinct rows, though some very minute teeth may be detected 

 at the base of the outer row. The inner row at the end of 

 the jaw is composed of seven teeth on each limb, larger 

 than the rest, and rendered still more prominent by a curve 

 of the jaw. In this part of the jaw the inner rows of the 



