G50 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



the name OpJiichthys caimot be used for the group {Phodoniophis Kanp) 

 to vrhich it belongs. It seems to us proper, Avith Bleeker, to cousitler 

 Murccna ophis as the type of Ophichthys. It is the first species men- 

 tioned by Ahl, and for that reason it has already been taken by Bleeker 

 as the type. It is also the species which suggested the generic name. 



It is, however, not evident what this Linnoian ophis may be. It is 

 based on a species of Artedi, which in turn rests on descrijitions of 

 Willoughby and Eay. To Ahl it was apparently known chiefly from 

 the figure and description of Bloch. In any event, all the evidence 

 points to a species allied to Ophklithys triserialis, ocellatus, and the like, 

 and for this group we would retain the name Opliichthys. It would then 

 be nearly equivalent to the genus O.ryodontichtliys of Poey, and would 

 l>rol)ably, even if viewed as a subgenus only, include the following- 

 nominal genera: Murcvnopsis Le Sueur; Centrtiropliis, Fwcilocephalus, 

 MicrodonopMs, CcecilopMs, Rerp>etoichthyfi, ElapsojJsis, ScytalopMs^ and 

 Leptorhinophis of Kaup, and most likely several others of the same 

 author. 



The genus OpMsiirus of La C6pede was originally based on two spe- 

 cies, 0. ophis La C. (not of L.) and 0. serpens L. The first restriction 

 of the name seems to be that of Swainson, in 1839, who removes 0. scr- 

 pens as the type of Leptognathus Sw., leaving the name Ophisurus for 

 0. ophis La C. and its allies. Later (185G) Dr. Kauj) gave to the latter 

 group the name of Fisoodonophis^ and made 0. serpens the type of 

 Ophisurus. The earlier restriction must take precedence and the name 

 Ophisurus (or Ophiurus) must be retained for the species with granular 

 teeth, if they be separated from Ophichthys proper. Whether these 

 species again admit of subdivision, as suggested by Poey, does not 

 now concern us, as the American species are typical Ophisuri. 



The genus Ccccula Yahl has been adopted (Syn. fish K. A. 358) by the 

 present writers, instead of Sphagehranchus Bloch. This name Ccecula 

 occurs in a memoir (for a copy of which we are indebted to the kindness 

 of Dr. Liitken) in the " Skrivter af :N\aturhistorie-Selskabet" 3d Bind. 2d 

 Hefte. 1794, pp. 149-15G, entitled "Beskrivelse af en nye Fiske-Slaigt, 

 Ca'cula, af M. Vahl." 



In this memoir, reference is made to Thunberg's separation of Murccna 

 L., into Murama and Ophichthys, and the generic name Cacvla is pro- 

 posed for two species. The one is described in full and figured under 

 the name of Ccvcula pterygera. The other is the Linna?,au Murccna cccca, 

 a species unknown to Vahl, which he renames Cwcula apterygia. The 

 genus Ccvcula is thus characterized : 



" Corpus teretiusculum, alepidotum, Branchiarum apertura collaris, 

 linearis, PinuiB ventrales «& caudales null^. Oculi minutissimi." 



The species are especially distinguished ix& pterygera, "pinna dorsali 

 analique," and apterygia., " l^innis nuUis." 



This Ccvcula pterygera is the only species of the genus known to Yahl 



