48 CATALOGUE OF FISH. 



teeth, resembling those of the cominon Conger in being chisel- 

 shaped and somewhat oblique at the tips, and, from their uniform 

 height and close arrangement, fitting the series for an incisorial 

 function. On the inside of this row there is a lower even range of 

 more pointed teeth, whose tips are inclined inwards towards the 

 mesial line. A deep smooth furrow separates the two rows. On 

 the outside, close to the root of the main palatine series, there is 

 a row of shorter acute teeth, resembling the nasal ones. Ante- 

 riorly these acute teeth increase in number to three or four deep on 

 the outside, and also fill up the furrow between the principal rows, 

 which there becomes wider, so that the fore end of the palatine 

 bones presents a dental surface altogether similar to that of the 

 nasal and vomerine bones ; and the ends of the palatines, instead 

 of articulating to the posterior edge of the nasal disk, as in the 

 Congers, go forward to the end of the snout, flanking the nasal 

 bone, on which tliey have a slight lateral motion, so that the line 

 separating their dental surfaces can be traced. The mandibular 

 teeth are like the palatine ones, and there are about nine teeth in 

 the width of the dental surface near the symphysis. 



The gill-openings are rather large ; and the pectorals small and 

 rounded. Their length about equals the distance from the posterior 

 edge of the orbit to the end of the snout ; and the dorsal com- 

 mences at the distance of thrice the length of the pectoral from the 

 gill-opening. 



Length, 36 in. To anus, 16| in. To gill-opening, 4-8 in. 

 Height of body behind the pectoral, 3 in. Thickness, 2 in. 



In Anfjuilla brevirostris the anterior interior palatine teeth are 

 represented as forming an obtuse cluster on the side of the vome- 

 rine teeth. The dental plate, though wide anteriorly in labrosa, 

 does not form the same lobe-like cluster, and the vomerine teeth 

 taper more regularly and rapidly to an acute point. (Bichardson.) 



Pacific. 



^. Species whose habitats are imperfectly known, the specimens not 

 having been labelled as to their marine, lacustrine, or fluviatile 

 origin. 



94. Angtjilla fasciata, fig. 37. 



Anguilla fasciata, Kaup. 



Diagn. Irregular black bands cross the body between the pec- 

 torals and dorsal. Three on the tail. A short eel, with pretty 

 large eyes, situated over the corners of the mouth. The dorsal 

 commences 205 in. before the anus. Lateral line elevated and 

 porous. 



This, so far as I know, is the only Anguilla which has black 

 bands across the body. As in most of the species, the mandible is 

 a little longer than the upper jaw. 



