Jordan and Evcrmann.— Fishes of North Amaica. 2805 



out tube; occiput not especially elevated, the anterior profile scarcely 

 concave (perfectly straight in young 2 feet long). Dorsal fin commencing 

 mucli in advance of gill opening, becoming unusually high posteriorly, 

 where its vertical height is more than \ greatest depth of body ; the length 

 of the longest ray more than greatest depth of body. Color light brown- 

 ish chestnut, slightly paler on abdomen; no spots or bands anywhere; 

 finsAvithout dark margins; no dark spot on gill opening or at angle of 

 mouth ; no black about eye ; head without conspicuous pores. The speci- 

 men here described is 44 inches in length; others about 2 feet in length 

 a<--ree very closely. This enormous eel is very common among the rocks 

 about Mazatlau, where it reaches a length of 6 feet. It is close to the 

 West Indian species, L. funehris, but the colors are not the same, funchns 

 being a greenish black, wliile casUineus is a purplish chestnut, without 

 shades of olive or green, {castanvus, chestnut. ) 



Sidera castanea, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mu«. 1882, 647, Mazatlan. (Type, 

 No.s. 28246, 29535 and 29591. Coll. C. K. Gilbert.) 



After Lycodontis mordas add: 



64tf(a). LYtObOXTlS PKTIIS (Ahl). 



Head 4 in trunk; tail about as long as body; eye 2i in snout, situated 

 midway between snout and angle of mouth; cleft of mouth 2| in head; 

 snout 5| in head; anterior nasal tube .5 in snout; gill opening 11 m head. 

 Teeth in each jaw in a single series; palatine series either parallel with 

 these or divergent; no distinct canines; teeth comparatively small ; ante- 

 rior vomerine 1 or 2 in number, bluntish and conical; posterior vomerine 

 teeth rather blunt. Anterior nasal tubes moderate. Dorsal low anteri- 

 orly and beginning in fr.mt of gill opening. Color brownish gray or 

 purplish, everywhere covered with small purplish black spots, which are 

 not confluent; in the adult the spots are arranged in roundish or ring- 

 like blotches on the sides; fins colored like body, without dark edges; 

 young pale with black ring-shaped markings; variation in color and 

 form of markings numerous. East In.lies; everywhere common. East to 

 offshore islands of Mexico. Two specimens, about 3 feet in length, taken 

 at Clarion Island by Mr. R. C. M<Gregor. Kpiotus, painted.) 

 Mutcena picta, Ahl, le Mura^na et opluchtho, vi, 6, tab. 2, f. 2; Gunther, Cat. Fish. 



Gymnoihoraxpietxis, Bleeker, All. Ichth., Mura^na, 87, tab. 26, 28, 29, 45. 

 Murcmophispantherina, Lackpede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 628, 1803 

 Mura^m variegata, Quoy & Gaimard, Voy. Uranie, Zool., 246, pi. 52, i. 1. 

 Murwna lita, Richardson, Voy. Erebus and Terror, 84, Moluccas. 

 Murcna siderea, Richardson, Voy. Erebus aud Terror, 85, pi. 48, 1. 1-5, Australia. 

 Murcenapfeifferi, ]?leeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. lud., v, 173, Celebes. 

 Sidera pfeiffeii, Kaup, Apodes, 70. 

 Page 401. After Murama argus insert: 



660(a). MUK.ENA CLf^PSYDRA, Gilbert, new species. 



Closely related to M. insularum and M. argus, from the tropical Pacific, 

 diftering from both in color. Nostrils tubular, of almost equal length. 



