21. OPHICHTHYS. 83 



one-fourth of the length of the head, extending behind the small 

 eye. Teeth granular, triserial, except on the maxillaries, on which 

 they are biserial. Pectoral fm extremehj short ; dorsal commencing 

 immediatelji behind the occiput. 



Cape Verde Islands ; Canary Islands ; West Indies. 



a. Twenty-live inches long. Lanzarote. Presented by the Iicv. 11. 



T. Lowe. 

 />. Half-grown. Cape Verde Islands. Presented by the I{ov. 1*. 



T. Lowe. 

 c. Half-grown. West Indies. Presented by Ch. Darwin, Esq. 



I believe that this is the species named j^rdalis by Valenciennes, 

 although he does not mention the white centre of the brown spots, 

 which may have disappeared. Probably this is also the risoodonophix 

 ocuJdtKS of Kauj), which is (evidently erroneously) described as having 

 the body longer than the tail. Specimen r has Ix'cn named Piaoodo- 

 nophis (/nttidatus by this gentleman. 



58. Ophichthys quincunciatus. 



Four alternate series of round brown spots along the body, the 

 uppermost on the back, partly extending on the dorsal. Dorsal 

 fin with a scries of ill-detined spots along the margin, anal with a 

 scries of spots similar to those on the body. The length of the head 

 is one-fourth of the distance of the gill-opening from the vent ; the 

 length of the body is four-fifths of that of the tail. Snoiit depressed, 

 pointed ; cleft of the mouth of moderate width, nearly one-foui-tli 

 of the length of the head, extending a little behind the eye. 

 Eye of moderate size, one-half of the length of the snout. Teeth 

 granular, those of the intermaxillarj', vomer, posterior portion of 

 maxillary, and anterior of mandible in a triple series, the remainder 

 biserial. PecforaJ Jin very short ; dorsal commenci)ig on the nape ; 

 dorsal and anal fins well developed. Head with rather numerous 

 round brown spots. 



Habitat ? 



a. Twenty-seven inches long ; tail sixteen inches. 

 •')9. Ophichthys acuininatus. 



Munena acuminata, (ironov. Si/sf. ed. (irau, p. 21. 

 Pisoodonophis guttulatus, Kaup, Apod. p. '2\, fig. 10. 

 Ophisurus longus, Poei/, licpcrt. Fis.-ndt. Cuba, ii. p. 254. 



Two or three alternate series of round yellowish spots along the 

 body ; head wilh numerous small yellow spots ; spots on the dorsal fin 

 yellow, diffuse. The length of the head is one-fifth of the distance 

 of the gill-opening from the vent ; the length of the body is three-- 

 fourths of that of the tail. Snout rather short and obtuse; cleft 

 of the mouth of moderate width, exf eiuling somewhat behind the 

 small eye. Teeth granular, biserial in young examples, but form- 

 ing broadish bands along the palate and mandibles, and narrower 



