402 Bulletin 4y, United States National Museum. 



LimamuTKna melanolis, Kaup, Aalo Hanib. Mus., 27, pi. 4, fig. '.\ 1859. 



Muriviia melimutia, Gi'NTHEK, Cat., vill, 98, 1870; Steindachner, Fische Afrikas, 33,1881; Jordan 



& GiLBEKT, I'roc. U. S. Nat. Mns., 1882, 624; Jordan & Gilbeut, Synopsis, 355, 1883. 

 MuraMa melanutin, Jordan & Davis, I. c, CIO. 



663. MUR.S:NA LENTIGINOSA, Jouyiis. 

 (Morena Pinta.) 



Teeth of upper jaw biserial, the inuer series of depressible caxiiues; 

 teeth on lower jaw aud vomer uuiserial; eye 2 to 2i iu snout, situated 

 over the middle of gape ; cleft of mouth 2^ to 3 in head ; head 2 to 2f in 

 trunk. Jaws capable of being completely closed. Body profusely spot- 

 ted ; angle of mouth with little or no black ; gill opening dusky ; general 

 color brown, the body with light yellow, distinctly brown-edged spots, 

 which are about as large as pupil, sometimes larger; towards the end of 

 tail the dark edgings form brown spots ; snout, jaws, and belly spotted, 

 as also the dorsal and anal ; a faint dusky bar frouL base of dorsal to 

 behind cleft of mouth ; spots more numerous around gill openings. 

 Pacific Coast of America from Gulf of California to Galapagos ; gener- 

 ally common, varying considerably in shade of color. (lentUjinosus, 

 freckled. ) 



Murimia lenliyinosa, Jenyns, Voy. Beagle, Zoiil., 143, 1842, Galapagos Islands ; GCnther, Cat., 

 viii, 99, 1870. 



Sluni'iia pinta, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. BIus., 1881, 345, Mazatlan. (Type, No. 

 28238. Coll. Gilbert.) Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 371; Jordan & Gil- 

 bert, ibid, 381; Jordan & Davis, 1. <■., 610. 



192. ECHIDNA, Forster. 



Echidna, Forster, Enchiridion, 31, 1778, {rariegata). 



Grjmnomurmia, LAcfcPEDE, Hi^^t. Nat. Poiss., v, 048, 1803, (duUata^marmunda). 



Gymnopsis, Rafinesque, Analyse Nature, 18T.5, 93, {doUala). 



Meijaderiis, Eakinesque, ?. «.'., 93, {rarii(jata). 



Mularii, Richardson, Voyage Erebus & Terror, 79, 1844, (opliis = ndmlosa). 



Poc.cihphi'i, Kaup, Apodes, 98, 1850, (catfjiialiis). 



Gymuomurxna, Kaup, Apodes, 98, 1856, {cariegata = nebidosa). 



This well-marked genus is distinguished from the other Moray s by the 



blunt teeth. The name Echidna was suggested for this group of eels 



long before its application by Cuvier to a genus of Australian Mono- 



tremes. There are some 12 or 15 species of Echidna, most of them 



belonging to the Western Pacific. This genus represents the highest 



degree of sjiecialization among the Morays, as Urojjterygius represents 



the extreme of degradation. {IxiSva, t;\;if, viper.) 



«. Color dark, with small, round yellowish spots; teeth subequal, bluntish, less obtuse than 



in E. cateinUa, mostly uniserial ; dorsal high, beginning over gill opening; head 2^^ in 



trunk; tail about a snout's length shorter than rest of body. nocturna, 664. 



aa. Color brownish, marbled and barred with paler ; liead 3 to 314 in trunk, 3}^ in tail. 



catenata, 665. 

 664. ECHIDNA NOCTUKNA (Cope). 



Teeth subequal, bluntish, less obtuse than in E. catenata, mostly unise- 

 rial; dorsal high, beginning over gill opening; head short and blunt, the 

 small eye half the snout; head 2$ iu trunk; cleft of mouth 3 in head; 



