ON AN EEL FROM THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. 



115 



anterior little larger, about twenty in each maxillary series, 

 palatine series nearly as many as the others. Eye mod- 

 erate, over the middle of the length of the mouth, little 

 less than half as long as the snout, excluding the fleshy 

 appendage. Posterior nostrils small, oval, not tubular, 

 in front of the upper edge of the eye. Anterior nostrils 

 at the end of the snout, tubular ; each having the appear- 

 ance of being split on its lower side for about half its length, 

 thus forming in front of the tube a broad flap that termi- 



nates in an acute point. At the symphysis on the lower jaw 

 there is a sharp fleshy prolongation, similar to that on the 

 the upper, but smaller, and a little below this, at each side 

 of it, there is another extending forward and downward. 

 Gill openings lateral, small, about twice the diameter of 

 the eye, forming a longitudinal slit of which the anterior 

 borders are prominent (a shape in part due to contrac- 

 tion). Pectorals absent ; dorsal and anal well developed, 

 continuous around the end of the tail. The dorsal begins 

 in front of the middle of the distance from gill-opening to 



