103 



the mouth, following the double rows. The mandibular 

 teeth are biserial on the sides of the bone, the outer row 

 being taller and more widely set, the inner row being close, 

 even and move numerous. In front there are six longer 

 teeth in a single row on each limb, the posterior of these 

 being the tallest, the others gradually lessening towards 

 the symphysis. 



This Ophisitrus resembles ocellatus in the snout not 

 being truncated between the anterior tubular nostrils, but 

 projecting in a conical form beyond these organs, and in 

 the lower jaw not being conspicuously shorter. The gape 

 is also prett}' large, in accordance with its well-developed 

 prehensile teeth, and the pectoral visible enough, though 

 not large. The dorsal commences some little way behind 

 the tip of the moderately large pectoral, or three quarters 

 of an inch behind the gill-opening, and ends opposite to 

 the end of the anal, about a quarter of an inch from the 

 apex of the tail. Both fins, having previously become 

 verj' low, dilate a little gradually before they terminate. 



The head is brownish above, with small dark spots and 

 specks, and there are minute dots on the lower jaw. There 

 are about sixteen large oval or round blackish-brown spots 

 on the sides, mostly above the lateral line ; one or two 

 only come below the line, and a few on the dorsal alternate 

 with the others. 



Length 12'7 inches. To anus 5'9 inches. To gill- 

 opening 1'4 inches. 



Hab. West Indies. The specimen described is in the 

 British Museum. 



Obs. — An OphisHJUs labelled rnaculatus in the Leyden 

 Museum, and noted as having come from Surinam, is, I 

 suspect, this species ; but being enclosed in a permanently 

 covered jar, I could examine it only through the glass. I 

 have had no opportunity of knowing what the Ophisurus 

 yuttcdus of Cuvier is like, and consequently run the hazard 

 of its being one of the species 1 have described. A spe- 

 cimen in the Leyden Museum, labelled " Ophisunis gut- 

 tatus, Valenciennes," is marked with large white spots, and 

 has pale fins, and may probably be a variety of Le Sueur's 

 ocellatus. Another individual, from Cura^oa, in the same 

 Museum, labelled " Oph. guttatus, Cuvier," has black 

 spots with white centres. 



Ophisurds spadiceus. Richardson. 



Ophisurus spadiceus, Richaidsou, Fishes of China, Report to Brit, 

 see. for 1845, p. 313. 



Teeth short, even, conico-subulate, acute. Nasal disk 

 armed by five, disposed in a row on each side, with the odd 

 one in front. Vomerine teeth alternate or sub-biserial an- 

 teriorly, but ranged more exactly in one line posteriorly. 

 Palatine teeth uniserial and close set, extending from the 

 comer of the mouth to the commencement of the vomerine 

 series, and with those of the opposite bone, giving the ap- 

 pearance of a cluster at the point of contact of the three 

 rows. There are twenty-two in each palatine bone. 

 Mandibular teeth uniserial, without doubling at the sym- 

 physis. 



Body vermiform. Head small. Snout narrow, but 

 truncated at the tip, with short tubular nostrils on its sides; 

 the posterior nostrils minute, with the usual lobulets on 

 the edge of the lip. Lower jaw considerably .shorter than 

 the upper one, rounded at the end. Throat plaited and 

 swelling. Pectorals lanceolate, acute, moderately large, 

 supported by eleven rays. Dorsal and anal fins low, de- 

 creasing on the tail, but becoming gradually a little higher, 

 and again lowering just before terminating verj' near the 

 tip of the tail. The dorsal commences behind the tip of 

 the pectoral. The rays of the fins can be readily seen. 

 Lateral line a conspicuous fold of skin. 



The colour of the .specimen, after some years of macera- 

 tion in spirits, is darkish wood-brown above the lateral 

 line, and whitish beneath, without any defined spotting. 



Length I Si- inches. To anus 4-8 inches. Length of 

 pectoral 0'5.5 inch. Height of body 0'4 inch. In the Re- 

 port to the British Association above quoted, the distance 

 between the tip of the snout and the anus has been errone- 

 ously given as 5'8 inches. 



Hab. Canton. The specimen was presented to the 

 British Museum by John Reeves, Esq. 



Ophisurds versicolor. Richardson. 



This is a banded species, like coliibriinis and fasciatitu, 

 though its acute subulate teeth place it in a different sec- 

 tion. The nasal disk is armed with nine slender reflex 

 teeth, viz., four in each row and an odd one in front. The 

 vomerine teeth are seventeen in number, a few of the an- 

 terior ones being inclined alternately to the right and left, 

 and the remainder strictly uniserial. Palatine teeth uni- 

 serial, anteriorly biserial in the middle after the sixth, and 

 then uniserial again towards the corner of the mouth, where 

 they are of equal height, close, reflex, and, like the others, 

 acutely subulate. Mandibular teeth uniserial, about nine- 

 teen on each limb, all reflex and subulate, with a broadisli 

 toothless interval at the symphysis. 



The body of this species is less slender and more rounded 

 than that oi fascial us or coluhriiius, the pectoral is more 

 conspicuous, and the dorsal and anal increase gradually in 

 height to a small extent before they begin to slope away 

 and disappear about a quarter of an inch from the end of 

 the tail. The dorsal is low, and commences immediately 

 behind the gill-opening. The body is varied by twenty- 

 seven purplish-brown rings, considerably broader than the 

 intervals between them ; most of the rings are further di- 

 vided more or less completely by narrower white lines or 

 imperfect circles. Tips of the snout and tail white. 



Length 20"8 inches. To anus lO'l inches. 



Hab. Moluccas. Specimen in the British Museum pur- 

 chased of Franks, who had it from the Leyden Museum. 



Ophisurus sugillatus. Richardson. 



The Ophisurus semicinctus and pardalis, which are 

 spotted much like sugillatus, differ in their much smaller 

 pectorals and conical-obtuse teeth, with smaller mouths : 



