900 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvi. 



Color in alcohol brown, pale on the abdomen and lower surface of 

 the head: alono- the upper portion of the sides, a narrow pale line 

 from snout above eye to near base of caudal above, and from below 

 eye another similar narrow stripe below lateral line and persisting to 

 the posterior portion of tail; edges of second dorsal, caudal and anal 

 blackish. 



Length 8i inches. 



This description is taken from a specimen from Misaki. The species 

 is found through the shore waters of east Africa, Red Sea, southern 

 Asia, the East Indies to Polynesia and Japan. 



Our many specimens from Tokyo, Misaki, Wakanoura, Mogi, and 

 Nagasaki. 



This species is very abundant along the shores of shallow sandy bays 

 throughout southern Japan. It rarely exceeds a foot in length. It 

 is not much value as food, and its sharp spines cause it to be detested 

 by the fishermen. Great numbers are taken in the shallow bay of 

 Mogi near Nagasaki. 



{anguiUari^, eel-like. ) 



Family II. SILURID^. 



Body more or less elongate, naked or covered with bony plates. No 

 true scales. Anterior part of head with 2 or more l)arbels, the base 

 of the longest pair formed bv the small or rudimentary maxillary. 

 Margin of upper jaw formed by premaxillaries only. Suboperculum 

 absent; operculum present. Dorsal fin usually present, short, above, 

 or in front of the ventrals. An adipose fin usually present. Anterior 

 rays or dorsal and pectorals usually spinous. Air bladder usually 

 present, large, and connected with the organ of hearing by means of 

 the auditory ossicles. Lower pharyngeals separate. Species numer- 

 ous, mostly in fresh waters, the large subfamily of Ariinx confined 

 to the sea. None of these occur in Japan proper. 



a. Gill membranes free or forming a free fold across the isthmus, rarely joined to it; 

 anal fin shorter than caudal portion of vertebral column. 

 b. ARiiNiE. Nostrils close together, neither with a barbel, the posterior with a 

 valve; teeth on the iialate; caudal forked (species chiefly marine). 

 c. Lower jaw with 4 barbels; palatine teeth fixed; both jaws with teeth above; 



gill-rakers few, 5 to 25; eyes above level of the mouth Tachysnrus, 2. 



hh. Nostrils remote from each other. 



(/. SiLURiN.E. Dorsal and adijjose fins very short, if present; anal very long; 



ventrals below or placed behind dorsals; gill juembranes entirely separate. 



e. Eye situated above the level of the angle of the mouth; caudal rounded; 



adipose fin none; barbels four; spinous dorsal small Parasilurus, 3. 



del. Bagrin.e. Dorsal fin short, placed anteriorly on the trunk, in advance of 

 ventrals; adipose fin well developed, sometimes short; anal short, or of 

 moderate length; gill membranes not confluent with the skin of the 

 isthmus, with free posterior margin. 



