onnniN^T',. 157 



neither the drawings nor the flescriptions are sufiiciently precise to 

 euahle us to judgo correctly. This is not the case with Montagu's 

 figure. The Ophidlum blacodes of Forster belongs cither to this 

 place or to the OjiJtiiliian, which Teniminck and Schlegel were in- 

 clined to refer to Brotula. The Oph. inaculalaiii of Tschudi he- 

 longs to hiacodes, according to a brief notice of Johannes Mviller in 

 the " Bericht iiber d. heist, dc. Archiv." 1840, p. 353. 



Genus 4. FIERASFER, Chivier. 



Oxybeles, Eichardso)i . 

 Echiodon, Thomson; Yair. 



Anus in the pectoral region ; vomer prominent in the roof of the 

 mouth, and armed with blunter laterally-compressed teeth. Seven 

 brunchiostcgals. No scales. 



9. FlEHASFER ACUS, luiltp. 



Fierasfer massiliensis, Br'dnnich, 13, 24. 



Gymnotus acus, GmeUii, 1140, No. U. 



Notopterus Fontanesii, Eisso, Iclith. de Nice, 89, t. iv. f. 11. 



i^'ierasfer Fontanesii, Costa, Fauna Nap. t. 20 (his). 



Ophidium fierasfer, liisso. Hist. iii. p. 212. 



Ophidium fulvescens, Ruf. Caratteri, p. 38, No. 282 ; Sivains. Cycl. 



f. 7 7 and 130 a. 

 Fierasfer imberbis, Cuv. Furjn.An. ii. 3.59. 



A very slender body posteriorly, tapering away into an acutely- 

 pointed tail. Under the lateral line as far as the intestinal canal 

 reaches there runs a row of fifteen silvery or golden spots, with 

 solitary blaci\ dots. Black dots or points run also over the head 

 and sides towards the end of the tail and occasionally form black 

 angular transverse bars on the back. The premaxillaries support 

 near their symphysis two rows of card-like teeth, and near the 

 corner of the mouth there are moi'e rows of blunt vitreous-looking 

 ones. A tuft of pointed teeth stands on the elongated projection of 

 the vomer, the middle row being the tallest : they are a little com- 

 pressed laterally and more round and curved at their points. On 

 the palatines the teeth are vitreous-looking. The mandibular teeth 

 are in several rows, the outer row being the tallest. 



This is a common fish in the Mediterranean, and is esteemed for 

 the tenderness of its liesh. Since the Opliidiuni imherbc of Lin- 

 na?us. Pennant, and Yarrell is a totally distinct fish, the name of 

 iinberhin erroneously applied to it by Cuvier cannot stand. The 

 figure in liisso 's Ichthyology is recognisable. Risso says that the 

 tongue is somewhat rough, but this is true only of its distal parts ; 

 the proper tongue is smooth and pointed and reaches to the project- 

 ing part of the vomer; he also states erroneously that the pre-oper- 

 culum is denticulated, but he was deceived by the angular silvery 



