137 



Aanm. De heer CArdoci , aan wien men de eerste uilvoerifje Leschrijvitijj dezer soort (e dan- 

 ken hceft^ lieeft mij bij de lahijke s|)ecimiiia dezer soort eene nota betrekkelijk liaar doen 

 toekomen, welke hieronder volyt. Mijne besclirijvinfj, genomen naar voorwerpen van 100" lot 

 630'"' lenjlc^ beantwoordt op gerinfjc verschillen na^ aan die van den heer Ca:^tor in zijne 

 Calalofjuc of Malayan Fishes. De [jctallen der stralen verschillen zeer. De opgaven van den 

 heer Cantor in zijn aanfjehanld werk en ia zijne ondervolgende nola^ duiden die getallen 

 aan als B. 2ö ad 31. ü. -Jlo ad 3J!0. P. 12 vel 13. A. 20o ad 2-47. Bij mijne specimina 

 gaan die gctaLleu voor de rugviri lut 402 en voor de aarsvin lol 2(5iJ. OpJiisurns Itaiaiirha 

 Richards. (1. c.) i.5 eene .soort, geheel van OpJdsurus ho7'o Buch. versclullcndc door iiaar 

 taudenslelsel; zijnde de tanden er scherp en in de kaken twee- lot eenrcijig, enz. 



De mij schriftelijk medegedeelde noLa van dea lieer Ciwroa luidt als volgt. 



)) The nalives of Bengal deuominale tliis species indiscriminalely: Boro, Borua, Ilaran- 

 )( cha , or Ilalancha. 



«As observed by Buchanaji IIamilto?), the comraon Icngtli is 18 inclies, hut individuals 

 » occur of ranch larger size. In January IBoB, a female was taken in the river Hooghlv, 

 )) which measured 4ijy^ inches in lofal length, and 4'/g inches in ihc greatest circumfcrencc. 

 » In March 18o3, aiiolhcr was observed, measuring 4B'/j inches in lenglh, and 6 inches in 

 )) circumference. In youngcr individuals the groundcolour of the back varics from more 

 » or Icss inlensely black, to light green olive. To judge bij the drawings of Blchasas, 

 )) upon wh.ich are founded the flgures in IÏardwicke's lUuslrations of Indian Zoolgoy, tlie ligh- 

 )) Ier variely bas been describcd as Ophiurus boro, the darker as Ophiurus harancha. 

 » The laleral line is more or less conspicuous in different individuals, and tliis appears to 

 )) have been the principal character by which Buchanan distinguished iiis two species. ïle 

 )) observes, that harancha differs but liftle from boro. 



)) Of the genus OpliiiDus Mr. MacClella?;d remarks: » the rc-^ult would be the eslablisli- 

 » ment of severnl species, which wc cannot now distinguish witli certainty"' (.\po(!al Fislies 

 )i of Bengal, p. Iö4.) Mn. MacGlellakd not liaving been able himself to distinguish .species, 

 » which he notwilhstanding bas supplied wiLli names, it is of course impossible for othcrs 

 » to distinguish such imagiuary species. 



» The short descriplion of Ophiurus caudatus MacGleliap!d , niateriaily differs from his 

 » figure (PI. XII, fig. 3). In all probability, the original has been a young individual of 

 )) Ophiurus boro, wilh a more llian ordinarily blunt tail. 



» Disseciioti of an ad uit female Ophiurus boro. 



«Total length: -48'/, inch. Greatest circumference: 6 inch. The Iieart is very small , about 

 » '/, of the length of the licad, enclosed in a lax, thick pericardium, situated immcdialely 

 » behind the gil'o[)cnings. The anterior, bifid extremity of the liver clasps the apex of 

 « tlie beurt. Tlie organ consi.sts of a single lobe, but presents sevcral transversal fissures. 

 «lis Icngtli is aljont '/, of the head; Ihe greatest breadth about V2 of the length. The 

 )) gall-bludd r is a large oval sac, extcnding with the poslerior lobc of llie liver to the 



