436 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Head contained 23 times in length of trunk. Tail yery little longer 

 than rest of body. Height of body contained 6 times in distance from 

 tip of snout to vent. 



Dorsal moderately high, beginning at the middle of the length of the 

 head. Gill-opening small, about as broad as the eye. 



The color light brown regularly reticulated with blackish, the reticu- 

 lations inclosing hexagonal or roundish spots of the ground color irreg- 

 ular in size, larger than the eye. The entire fish is thickly covered with 

 small whitish spots, smaller than the pupil; these sj)Ots are smallest 

 and most numerous anteriorly, nearly obsolete on the belly, and present 

 on the inside of the mouth. Gill-opening surrounded by a small black- 

 ish blotch, whose diameter is less than twice that of the eye. Angle of 

 the mouth black. Dorsal with about 5 longitudinal blackish lines, 

 which become obsolete posteriorly. Anal with a single narrow blackish 

 stripe extending along its whole length. 



The single typical specimen is 20f inches long. It was collected at 

 Charleston, S. C., by Mr. 0. C. Leslie. The museum number is 31393. 



24. Sphagebranchus teres, n. s\). 



Body terete, moderately elongate, its greatest depth slightly more 

 than two-fifths length of head. 



Snout short, moderately pointed, projecting somewhat beyond lower 

 jaw, its length contained GJ times in length of head, and contains the 

 very small eye 2i times. Tubes of anterior nostril rather short — shorter 

 than eye; posterior nostrils labial, not tubular. Cleft of mouth 4 in 

 head; the front of eye behind middle of cleft. Teeth small, subequal, 

 in moderate bands on jaws and vomer. Lower jaw rather short and 

 weak. Tongue not free in front. Length of head contained 8f times in 

 that of trunk. Trunk and tail equal in length. 



The distance from the tip of snout to beginning of dorsal is contained 

 2f times in length of head. The dorsal is of moderate height, its long- 

 est ray slightly less than length of snout. Free end of tail acute, short. 

 Anal well developed, lower than the dorsal. Pectorals minute, pointed 

 at the upper edge of gill-opening, usually shorter than eye. 



Gill-openings vertical, the length of one slit slightly more than breadth 

 of isthmus, about equal to length of snout. 



Lateral line distinct, the pores well separated, extending forward in 

 a curve above the opercular region. Head with no conspicuous pores. 



Color uniform, clear brown, paler below, whitish on the head. Front 

 of head somewhat mottled. Fins all pale, without dark margins. 



The museum possesses three specimens, number 31457, ranging in 

 length from 18^ inches to 21^ inches; they were collected in West 

 Florida many years ago, by Kaiser and Martin. 



Letharchus, new genus, Ophisurid^. 



This genus agrees with Sphagebranchus in most respects; it lacks, 

 however, an anal fin; the anterior nostrils are not tubular, and the gill- 



