58 MTTRiENlD^. 



b. The teeth of each series are equal or snhequal in size. 

 a. Cleft of the mouth tvide, more than one-third of the length of the head. 



5. Ophichthys triserialis. 



Mursenopsis triserialis, Kaup, Apod. p. 12. 



? Herpetoichthys callisonia, Abbott, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1800, 

 p. 475. 



A series of large, transversely ovate brown spots along the back, 

 alternating with another series of similar round spots running along 

 each side of the body ; abdomen sometimes with one or two series of 

 smaller brown spots. Head with small black spots ; an irregular 

 black band across the occipital region. Dorsal fin with a black 

 margin ; anal fin with black submarginal spots. Head with nume- 

 rous longitudinal rugae. The length of the head is two-fifths or one- 

 third of the distance of the gill-opeuing from the vent. Cleft of the 

 mouth wide, more than one-third of the length of the head. Eye of 

 moderate size, its diameter being contained once and two-thirds in 

 the length of the snout ; it is situated in the anterior third of the 

 length of the head. Teeth pointed, fixed, all biserial, except* those 

 on the vomer, which are uniserial. Pectoral Jin two-sevenths of the 

 length of the head ; dorsal ^n commencing above the terminal portion 

 of the pectoral. Tail rather longer than the body. 



Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Tropical America, 



a. Type of the species, 36 inches long. Pacific. Collected by Dr. 



Goodridge. 

 h. Larfe specimen. Caribbean Sea. Collected by Mr. Guilding. 



c. Adult, 42 inches long. Bahia. Collected by Dr. Wucherer. 



d. Half-grown. From the Haslar Collection. 



6. Ophichthys grandimaculata. 



Ophichthys grandimaculata, Kner Sf Steindachner, Sitzgsher. Ak. Wiss. 

 Wim, 1866, liv. p. 389, fig. 13. 



Back with broad blackish cross bands extending downwards to 

 below the lateral line, and alternating with large round dorsal spots 

 extending to the lateral line only ; head with small round blackish 

 spots. I)orsal fin with a broad blackish margin ; anal blackish. 

 The length of the head is two-fifths of the distance of the ^ill-open- 

 ing from the vent. Cleft of the mouth wide, more than one-third of 

 the length of the head. Eye of moderate size, its diameter being 

 contained once and two- thirds in the length of the snout; it is 

 situated in the anterior third of the length of the head. Teeth 

 pointed, fixed. dU biserial except those on the vomer, which are 

 uniserial. The length of the pectoral fin is more than one-third of 

 that of the head, dorsal fin commencing above the basal half of the 

 pectoral. Tail longer than body. 



Peru. 

 a. One of the typical specimens, 24 inches long. From the Godef- 

 froy Museum. 



