66 MUKiENID^. 



C. The dorsal coinmencea conspicuously in advance of the gill-opening, 



p. 87. 

 I). Dorsal and anal fins absent, p. 89. 



1. Teeth pointed : pectoral Jin developed in adult examples. 



A. Maxillary teeth in a double series. 



1. Mandibukiry teeth in a double series. 



a. Canine teeth verxj distinct. 



1. Ophichthys rostellatus. 



Ophisurus rostellatus, Richards. Jchthynl. Ercb. ^- Terr. p. 105. 



porphyreus, Schley. Faun. Japan. Poiss. p. 2(36, pi. 116. fig. 1. 



Mystriophis rpstellatus, Kaup, Apod.^. 10. 

 porphyrus, Kaup, Apod. p. 11. 



The length of the head is nearly one-third of the distance between 

 the gUl-opening and vent. Snout produced, somewhat flattened, 

 contracted behind the extremity, like the snout of a Crocodile. Eye 

 of moderate size, two-fifths or one-third of the length of the snout, 

 situated in the anterior fourth of the length of the hoaS. Teeth 

 pointed, fixed, unequcd in size ; those of the intermaxillary are canine 

 teeth forming a transverse series ; maxillary and mandibulary teeth 

 biserial, those of the outer series are distant and canine teeth ; vo- 

 merine teeth canines and uniserial. Gill-openings wide and close 

 together. Vertical fins moderately developed. Origin of the dorsal 

 fin immediately behind the extremity of the pectoral, which is 

 well developed, about one-fourth of the length of the head. Tail 

 one-fourth longer than the body. Upper parts brown. 



West Africa ; Japan. 



a. Type of the species. Senegal, Presented by the late Earl of 



Derby. 

 h. Adult : dried. Gambia. Purchased of Mr. Whitoly. 



c. Thirty-nine inches long. Japan. Purchased of Hr. Frank. 



d. Half-grown 



2. Ophichthys punctifer. 



Crotalopsis punctifer, Kaup, Ahhandl. Ntrwiss. Verein. Hamburg, iv. 



2, 18G0 (1859), p. 12, taf. 1. fig. 3 (not good). 

 Conger mordax; Poey, Mem. Cuba, ii. 1860, p. 319. 

 Macrodonophis niordax, Poey, Pcpert. Fis.-nat. Cuba, ii. p. 252, tab. 2. 



fig. 9 (head). 



Snout narrowed, short, spoon-shaped, twice as ?Ong as the eye ; 

 cleft of the mouth very wide. Teeth pointed, fixed, unequal in size ; 

 those of the intermaxillary in a single arched series, the foremost 

 being the longest of all teeth ; maxillary and mandibulary teeth in 

 a double series, the outer containing canine teeth ; vomerine teeth 

 triserial, rather small. Lips not frin(/ed. Gill-openings wide. The 

 origin of the dorsal fin is at some distance behind the pectoral *, 



* This as well as otlier important characters arc not attended to in Knup'.s 

 description ur figure. 



