Ol'UISURIDi. 5 



7. Centrueoppiis macrochir. 



Ophisurus macrochir, Bleeker, MurcEii. p. 20. 



According to the description of this species, it approaches the 

 group of Centrurophia ; hut seems to be kept apart by the number 

 of its teeth, viz., on the palatal bone 18, with a soHtary nasal 

 tooth." In my genus Calleclieli/s also, there is OTily one tooth on 

 the nasal bone ; but this genus has no pectoral fin, and macrochir 

 cannot, therefore, be mistaken for a species of tliat group. 

 Vomerine teeth 30, most of wliich stand in two ranks, though the 

 posterior ones run into a single row. On each half of the man- 

 dible, there are 24 teeth. All the teeth are equally large and 

 pointed. The pectoral fin measures one-third of the length of the 

 head, and the dorsal begins half the length of the head behind the 

 gill-opening. The specimen described by Dr. Bleeker was muti- 

 lated of the tail. Its length down to the auus was 5-7 in. It is 

 seemingly the type of a proper group. 



Java. 



Genus 3. POECILOCEPHALUS, Kaup. 



Nasal teeth not extending before the lower jaw, 3 in number, the 

 2 anterior ones smaller, and standing transversely side by side. 

 Palatine teeth 11, arranged in a curve which commences at the 

 mesial line. Vomerine teeth, 11. Mandibular teeth, 18-19. All 

 the teeth pointed, short, curved backwards, and of the same size. 

 Head considerably rounded. Upper lip destitute of cuticular ta^s. 

 Dorsal beginning opposite to the pectorals, which are very short. 



8. POECILOCEPHALXJS BoXAPAKTI, fig. 3. 



Head, viz. round the eyes, ornamented by an irregular network 

 of black lines ; on the occiput, a light, gray band, grizzled with 

 black. Irregular yellowish marks, bordered with black, encom- 

 pass the throat. Eighteen black bars cross the body, from the 

 occiput onwards ; and there are some black spots on the belly. 

 There are also black spots on the dorsal fin in the vicinity of the 

 black body-bands. On the anal, there are merely traces of spots. 

 Length 24 in., whereof the tail measures 10 25 in. From the tip 

 of the snout to the gill-opening, 1-97 in. Length of the pectoral, 

 0-24 in. 



I received this handsome eel from Prince Charles Lucieu Bona- 

 parte, the author of the Fauna Italica, and of the Catalogo Metho- 

 dico. 



Amboina (Quoy and Gaimard). 



• Perhaps the four posterior nasal teeth, which normally stand in two rows, are 

 broken away, and only the front pairless one remains. 



