OPHISTJRID^. 27 



Mandibulars, 12. All the teeth conical, pointed, and of various 

 heights. 



Rays: Br. 23; D. 510; A. 175. 



Sumatra. One specimen measured 3iS in. in length {Bleeker). 

 This species seems not to belong to this place, since it departs 

 irom the generic character in many essential points. 



54. Sphagebeakchus anceps. 

 Dalophis anceps, Cantor, Mai. Fish, tab. C, 1-4. 



Head comparatively short, and terminating in a short conical 

 muzzle. Eye very minute. Measured to the gill-opening, the 

 head IS found to be ,\,th of the total length; and fts length iT con- 

 tained ten times and three-quarters in the distance between the 

 muzz e and the anus, which terminates the fourth-seventh of the 

 total length There are 3 pores on the snout, and 5 on each branch 

 of the mandible. Ihe tube of the anterior nostril is double the 

 length of the eye Beneath the tip of the muzzle, there appears a 

 double series of 3 teeth each. Vomerines, biserial at first, nkr the 

 end, unisenal. Palatine teeth uniserial. Mandibular teeth, bise- 

 [enlth '^'^P''^'"''- ^^^ ^'^^•^'''1 begins at one-eighth of the total 



Ground colour, yellowish-white, so sparingly dotted with brown 

 as merely to acquu'e a greyish or dusty appearance ; beneath the 

 lateral line, there is a pale bluish-grey longitudinal stripe. Abdo- 

 men, white; doi^al and anal fins, hyaline, the lower half of the 

 former dotted with brown. {Cantor.) 



Penang. 



Genus 19. CIRRHIMUK^NA, Kaiip. 



ir.."^„'^f i^V^"" ?P'' '^P f^r^ished with a great number of short 

 irregularly-formed mustache filaments. Head small, donated 

 compressed, and sharply pointed. Snout a little longer than the 

 pointed mandible. Fore nostril shortly tubular, situated o^ the 

 edge of the snout ; the hinder one on the inner side of the lip On 



nu^STtir °' '^^ ''''-'' "P^^^- ''' ''^'^ ^- ^^->^ ^''^'-t 

 Pectoral hn, narrow and longish. Eye situated over the middle 

 of the jaws. Teeth very hne ; 2 rows on the palatine bones a 

 single series on the vomer and mandible. Low doLl and anal ti is 

 which do not wholly surround the tail. ' 



55. ClERUIMUE.1i;NA CUINENSIS. 



A not very greatly-elongated form, in which the beginning of the 

 dorsa and ol the pectorals correspond, the latter havin- 9 rays 

 ^^^Colour, yellowish-brown. with fine dark points along the dorsal 



