482 OI'UIOCI, I'll ALT U.K. 



lower jaw, passes tlie tympanic, and running along the prccopercular 

 limbs meets the first cliannel. The united stem of botli passes over 

 the suprascapula into the muciferous system of the trunk, after having 

 emitted a short branch towards the supraoccipital. 



The scapula is longer than the suprascapula ; ulna Avith a small 

 ovate foramen ; the radius does not extend downwards to the sym- 

 physis of the humeri, and is quite flat, so that the cavity for the 

 pectoral muscles is very shallow ; there is a broad slit between radius 

 and humerus ; carpal bones very small ; the upper portion of the 

 coracoid broad, the lower short, tliin, and narrow. The pubic bones 

 are elongate, triangular, and suspended from the symphysis of the 

 humeri. 



The vertebral column is composed of fifty-two short vertel)raD. We 

 cannot distinguish a caudal portion, as the abdominal cavity is con- 

 tinued on to nearly the end of the tail. Nearly all the vei'tebrte have 

 ribs suspended fi-om long parapoi)hyses, and the interhtcmnls are not 

 in immediate connexion with the skeleton ; neurals sti'ongly inclined 

 backwards, rather feeble ; one interncural always corresponds to one 

 neural, 



25. Ophiocephaliis micropeltes. 



Ophicephalns micropeltes, (Kiilil i^-r. ILiss.) Cur. Sf Val. vii. p. 427; 



Bleak. Vrrhiuid. Jitdar. (Jnitxifsch. xxiii., Jj<ih[irintli. p. 12. 

 serpentiuus, Cuv.^- Val. vii. p. 42U; G'riff'. A/iim. Kiiu/d. x, pi. 52. 



fig. 3. 



D. 44. A. 27. L. lat. 95. L. transv. G/15. Vert. 53. 



A scries of large teeth in the lower jaw and on the palatine bones. 

 The height of the body is contained six times in the total Icngtli, the 

 length of the head nearly four times. The width of the intcrorbital 

 space is much more tlian the extent of the snniit, and contained three 

 times and three-fourths in the length of the head. Cleft of the 

 mouth large, extending behind the orbit. The scales on the ujipe? 

 surface of the head are small, and there arc about seventeen series 

 of scales between the orbit and the angle of the prteoperculum. Tlu; 

 ventral is not much shorter than the i)ectoral. IJack and sides brown : 

 two series of alternate round light spots along the side ; the spots 

 are sometimes confluent, forming a zigzag band. Yoiduj bi-own, with 

 lighter longitudinal stripes. 



Fresh waters of Siam and of the East Indian Archipelago. 



a. Eighteen inches long : stuffc'd. 8iam. From the Collection of 



the East India Com])any. — Type of 0. scrpenthius. 

 h. Adidt : skeleton. Purchased. 



Dr. V. Blocker distinguishes another species from tlio ]iresent one, 

 w^hich he calls 0. atevensli (Borneo, vii. p. 444) and which is said to 

 have tlie body rather more elongate, its dei)th ])eing one-seventh of 

 the total length. Tlu>re a])pears also to be a difl'erencc in the colo- 

 ration of the dorsal fin, wliich he d(>sc]'ibes as having a broad brown 

 longitvulinal band in 0. micropeUa^. A\'liilst it is violet in 0. t^lcviush 

 with several broad oblique ligliter ban<ls. 



