108 



creased surface for absorption. The gut ends in a short, 

 straight and rather wider canal, which arrives at the anus 

 very soon alter passing the ccecal point of the stomach. 



The end of the snout is formed by the rounded extremity 

 of the nasal bone, whose dental disk, nearly twice as broad 

 as it is long, is closely set with small, short, stoutly subu- 

 late, acute, somesvhat recurved teeth. A smooth furrow 

 separates this disk from the ratlier prominent elliptical 

 dental surface of the vomer, which is armed with similar 

 teeth, but which are less crowded on the mesial line. The 

 vomerine teeth do not go so far back as the prefrontal pro- 

 cess. The principal series of teeth on the palatines, when 

 looked at in situ, appear to be slenderly cylindrical, some- 

 what like the teeth of a Clnelodon, but they are in fact 

 wedge-shaped, being transversely wider at the base, and 

 obliquely chisel-shaped and acute on the edge. Being very 

 closely and evenly set, the series as a whole is incisorial. 

 Close to their roots interiorly a ievf minute teeth may be 

 detected, situated so as to be ready to replace any of the 

 main series that may be injured; and at a very small in- 

 terval there is a very low, even row, forming an interior 

 acute ridge, just visible above the soft parts. Near the 

 symphysis this ridge terminates in a narrow band or cluster. 

 On the outside, near the anterior end of the palatine bone, 

 the main dental ridge is supported by a villiform band of 

 small subulate teetli, which is broadest where it touches 

 the nasal disk, and tapers off to a point posteriorly, not 

 reaching above one-third of the length of the bone. The 

 mandibular teeth arc similar to the palatine ones, but the 

 outer villiform cluster at the symphysis is broader. The 

 small inner teeth of both jaws are concealed by the soft 

 parts in the recent fish. The upper and under pharyngeals 

 are densely covered with very fine villiform teeth, which 

 are slightly coarser on the inner borders of the bones. 



The pretty large, ovate pectoral is supported by seven- 

 teen rays. The dorsal commences over the last quarter of 

 the pectoral, and contains about three hundi-ed rays, while 

 the anal is supported by two hundred and fifty. They are 

 bordered with black, as is the case in the majority of Con- 

 gers. The lateral line has a series of white pores be- 

 neath it. 



Length from 5 to 7 or 8 feet. 



IIab. European Seas. 



CoNGRDS LEUCOPH.EUS. Richardsou. 



Small subacute teeth, densely crowded at the end of the 

 ujjper jaw, the cluster ending posteriorly in a short acute 

 point, just behind the articulation of the palatine bones to 

 the nasal di.sk, that is, extending a very short way on the 

 vomer. Palatine and mandibular teeth uniserial, and 

 evenly and closely set, producing an incisorial ridge, as in 

 the common conger. Their cusps are compressed, acute- 

 edged, or chisel-shaped, and oblique enough to form an 

 angle or point posteriorly. A few at the fore end of the 

 mandible are more pointed, and not so closely and evenly 

 set. The head is depressed and flattish above, tlie snout 

 rounded. The dorsal begins just behind the tip of the 



pectoral, and, with the anal, is of a pale colour, distinctly 

 bordered with black. The body, after maceration in spi- 

 rits, is brownish. 



Length \Q\ inches. To anus 7\ inches. To gill-open- 

 ing 2'2 inches. 



The specimen exists in the British Museum, but with- 

 out any record of its native place. 



CONGRUS MYRUS. RisSO > 



Mureena mi/rus, Risso, Ichtli. de Nice, p. 20? 



I have referred the conger whose description follows to 

 the nii/nis of authors, chiefly because of the white lines 

 about the occiput, and on account of its habitat. It does 

 not agree at all with Lacepede's figure 2, PI. 3, f. 3, in the 

 position and size of the eye. 



Roundish or slightly oval nasal disk, armed with short, 

 conical, acute teeth, biscrial on the border, the outer series 

 formed of about fifteen, and the inner one of eight ; in ad- 

 dition to which there are two on the mesial line larger 

 than the others, the posterior one being placed a little be- 

 hind the circle of the disk. Dental surface of the vomer 

 elliptical, and acute at both ends, armed with small teeth 

 of various sizes, some of them flattish and rounded, others 

 more acute. About six stand abreast in the middle of the 

 ellipse. Palatine teeth acerose or short, slender, cylin- 

 drical and more or less acute, crowded without order, but 

 standing four or five in the width of the bone, which abuts 

 anteriorly against the nasal di.sk. The mandibular teeth 

 are similar to the palatine ones, but form a slightly nar- 

 rower band. 



The body of this conger tapers considerably. The head 

 is longish and narrow. The snout is obtuse when seen 

 from above, but being rather depressed looks acute in pro- 

 file. The eyes are large, and placed rather more than a 

 vertical diameter of the orbit apart, over the posterior an- 

 gle of the mouth. The gape is large, exceeding the mode- 

 rate-sized pectoral in length. The lateral line is formed 

 by a series or chaplet of little elliptical elevations, with 

 white dots at intervals. The dorsal begins over the tip of 

 the pectoral. The fins are pale, with black edges. The 

 body is brownish-gray above, after maceration in spirits, 

 the colom- being partly produced by densely-crowded very 

 minute dark ash-gray dots ; and the belly is whitish, with 

 thinly set blackish dots. A porous white band crosses the 

 occiput ; another runs along the temples, over the base of 

 the pectorals : one passes under the eye, and the pores 

 form variously figured lines on the snout. There are also 

 three short longitudinal white bars on the top of the head, 

 before the transverse occipital band. 



Length 23j inches. To anus 9? inches. To gill-open- 

 ing 2j inches. 



Hah. Bay of Najjles. Specimen presented to the Bri- 

 tish Museum by J. Pratt, Esq. 



