392 Bulletin 4/, United States National Museum. 



upper jaw bluntish and turned backward as in R. panamensis ; snout 

 short, bluntish ; eye large ; head 2| in trunk, 81 in total ; gape short. 

 Color purplish brown, finely mottled with darker, the markings faint. 

 Tropical Atlantic off the West Indies ; two small specimens recorded. 

 (longus, long; eaiida, tail.) 

 Mitrmia longicavda, Peters, Berliner Monatsberirlito, 1876, 850, Open Atlantic, with Sphage- 



branchns angtiiformis. 

 Gymniithnrax longicavda, .TonriAN A Davis, 1. c, 599. 



190, LYCODONTIS, McClelland. 



Lycodontis, McClelland, Calcutta Journ.* Nat. Hist., v. No. xviii, 1844, 173, {Jilernta — Hie). 



Thitrondotis, McClellanp, I. c, v, No. xvill, 1844, 174, (retlcidata = tessellala). 



Sidera, KAUr, Apodes, 70, 1850, (pfeifferi). 



Eimimyctera, IvAur, I. c, 72, {crudelis). 



Polynranodon, Kaup, I. c, 9G, (kiOdi = polyuranodon) . 



T;rniophis, Kaui', Aale Hamburg Mus., Nachtrage, 10, 1859, {veslphali = funehris). 



PriodonopliLi, Kaup, Aalpnjihnliche Fische Hamburg Mnseum, 22, 1859, {ocellalux). 



Neornuraita, Gieard, U. S, Mex. Bound. Surv., Fishes, 70, 1859, {mgromarginata =ocellatus). 



PieHdomuriena, Johnson, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1860, 167, {madeirensis). 



Oymnothorax, GI'ntheu, Cat,, vili, 100, 1870, {meleagris, etc.). 



This genus, as here understood, comprises the great bulk of the Murw- 

 nidw, including all the species with sharp teeth, thebody normally formed, 

 the anterior nostrils only tubular, and the dorsal fin beginning on the 

 head. Priodonophis with serrated teeth has been recognized as a distinct 

 genus by Bleeker, but the character in question disappears by degrees 

 and seems not to be suitable for generic distinction. The Morays of this 

 genus are everywhere abundant in the tropical seas, where some of them 

 reach a great size. They are the most active and voracious of the eels, 

 often showing much pugnacity. Most of them live in shallow water about 

 rocks or reefs. (Aivcof, wolf; bdovg, tooth.) 

 Lycodontis : 

 a. Teeth all entire, with no serrations anywhere, and none of them with basal lobes. 



6. Body without black transverse bands, or very large, irregularly placed bb-vck spots, 

 c. Body without small, round, bluish white or yellow spots, the spots, if any, blackish 

 or dull grayish ; dorsal without distinct paler margin, or with merely the very 

 edge whitish. 

 d. Dorsal with a distinct black margin ; anal with a pale edge ; teeth uniscrial. 

 e. Color nearly plain brown, finely freckled ; 13 teeth on side of lower jaw ; 

 tail equal to head and trunk. verhilli, 044. 



ec. Color brownish, finely mottled with darker brown ; 22 teeth on sides of 

 lower jaw ; tail longer than liea<l and trunk. vrciNns, 04.5. 



dd. Dorsal without distinct, darker margin, its border colored nearly or quite like 

 rest of fin. 

 /. Body and tail covered with close-set dark points ; tail longer than rest of 

 body. viRESCENS, 046. 



* There is in America only one complete set of the Calcutta Journal of Natural History, and 

 that is in the Library of tlio Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. In Vol. v of this 

 Journal is found McClellaud's jiaiK-r upon the Apodal Fishes of Bengal, in which several new 

 generic and specific names are proposed. We are indebted to Mr. Witmer Stone, of the Phila- 

 delphia Academy, for kindly transcribing portions of that jiaper for us. 



According to Mr. Stone the name Lycodoiilit occurs on iiago 17.3, of Vol. v, and three species 

 ar(( assigned to it, viz: Ulrrnla ( - tile, p. 112, Vol. viii, of Giinthor's Catalogue), punctata {=lile, 

 ibid. Giintber), anrl Inngicaidntu ( salht-h; p. 120, Giinther). 



The name Tli:i mdnnlix occurs, with diagnosis, on jiage 174, one page later than Lycodontis, and 

 but one sjucies, nlirnlula ( - IcasclUUa, p. 1U6, Giinther). Of these two names, Lycodontis must 

 take precedence of Thicrodontis. 



