oPHisoRrniE. 15 



aspect. Doi-sal bordered with Hack. Pectoral and anal pale red^ 

 the latter edged with black. 



Kays: Br. ;>1 ; P. 11 ; D. 460-480; A 270. 



Length, 24 in. ; of tail, l.JG. To the corner of the mouth, 0-41 

 in. To the jiectoral, 1-42 in. To the beginning of the dorsal, 

 1-93 in. Height of the body, 0-83 in. 



Tnhainbane (East Africa). 



i. Tedli blunt ; head and gape sliort. 



Genus 15. PISOODONOPHIS, Kaup. 



Teeth short-conic, and more or less blunt. Anterior nostril-tube 

 well-developed, and approximating to the corner of the moulb. 

 Pectoral more or less fully developed. 



a. Of an uniform colour, ivlthuut spots or lands. 



27. PiSOODONOPHIS CANCRIVORUS, fig. 9. 



Ophisurus cancrivorus et sinensis, Rich., Ereb. <£• Terr. pp. 97, 98, 



from Rich., jil. 50, fig. 6-9. 

 Ophisurus baccidens, Cantor, Mai. Fish., p. 320, pi. 5, f. I. 



The margin of the upper lip is furnished with two cuticular tags. 

 Dorsal commencing just behind the base of the pectoral. All the 

 teeth tri- or phiriserial. 



Head conical, and the snout short and acute, with a thick, 

 short tubular nostril ou each side of it, near the lip, having an 

 inclination backwards. Posterior nostril under the eye, rather ou 

 the inner border of the lip, and covered by a valve, which gives a 

 downward aspect to the opening. A small, acute papilla overlies a 

 minute notch on the edge of the lip, between the nasal openings of 

 each side ; and behind the posterior opening there is a second 

 and more minute papilla. These appendages and nostrils give a 

 character to the orifice of the mouth, different from that of Anr/uilla 

 or Murccna. The eye is rather small. There are four conspicuous 

 pores on each linjb of the mandible, several ou the under lip, and 

 3 rostral ones on each side, above and below the eye. The nape 

 and throat being elastic, bulge out, and are the thickest part of the 

 fish; they are marked on each side by about 25 fine longitudinal 

 furrows, which run back to the gill-openings. Thirty-three gill-ravs 

 of a side maintain the elasticity of these parts. They are as fine 

 as horse-hairs, spring from the lateral branch of the os hyoides, and 

 are very curiously arranged in f\vo layers. The rays of the left 

 branch make an abrupt curve across the throat, and then return to 

 the nape, circulating in their way round the left operculum. On the 

 right side, the 20 uppermost or posterior rays run veutrad or der- 



