48 MURiENID.'R;. 



a. Large specimen. Jamaica. From Dr. Bancroft's Collection. 



Tj-pe of the species. 



b. Adult : stuffed. West Indies. Type of Conr/riis curvidens. 



10. NETTASTOMA. 



Nettastoma, Rqfinesque. 



Scaleless. Snout much produced, depressed. Jaws and vomer 

 with bands of cardiform teeth, those along the median line of the 

 vomer being somewhat the larger. Vertical fins well developed, 

 pectorals none. Gill-openings of moderate width, open. Nostrils 

 on the upper surface of the head, valvular ; the anterior near to the 

 end of the snout, the posterior above the anterior angle of the eye. 

 Air-bladder present; pyloric appendages none. 



Mediterranean. 



1. Nettastoma melanurum. 



Nettastoma melanura, Rafineitque ; Kauj), Apod, p. 119, fig. 75. 

 Miu-penopliis saga, liisso, Ichth. Nice, p. 370, pi. 10. fig. 39, or Eter. 



Merid. iii. p. 193._ 

 On Hyoprorus messinensis, see p. 144. 



The upper jaw is the longer. Cleft of the mouth extending to 

 below the hind margin of the eye. Dorsal fin commencing imme- 

 diately behind the gill-opening ; tail long, tapering into a point, 

 nearly twice as long as the body. Fins with a black margin pos- 

 teriorly. Peritoneum black. 



Mediterranean. 

 a, h. Adult, Nice. 



11. SAURENCHELYS. 

 Saurenchelys, Peters, Monatsher. Ak. Hiss. Berl, 1804, p. 397. 



Scaleless. Snout much produced. Jaws, vomer, and palatine 

 bones with several series of small pointed teeth, those along the 

 median line of the vomer being somewhat the larger. Vertical fins 

 well developed, pectorals none. Nostrils lateral ; the anterior near 

 to the end of the snout, the posterior in front of the eye. 



Air-bladder and pyloric appendages absent. 



Mediterranean ? 



1. Saurenchelys cancrivora. 



Peters, I. c. 

 Very similar to Nettastoma ; tail tapering into a point. Gill- 

 opening one-fifth more distant from vent than from the end of the 

 snout. Eye one-third of the length of the snout. Dorsal fin com- 

 mencing immediately behind the gill-opening. Upper jaw the 

 longer. Vertical fins with a black margin posteriorly. Peritoneum 

 silveiy. (Ptrs.) 



12. OXYCONGER. 

 Oxyconger, Bkek. At/. Ichth. 3htr. p. 19. 

 Scaleless. Snout much produced ; maxillary and mandibulary 

 teeth triscrial, the middle series containing long canine teeth placed 



