64 MtTR^NlDiE. 



19. Ophichthys marginatus. 



Ophiurus marginatus, Peters, Wieg7n. Arch. 1855, p. 272 ; Giinth. 



in Fish. Zanz. p. 128, 

 Leptorhinophis marginatus, Kaup, Apod. p. 14. 



Coloration uniform. The length of the head is one-sixth of the 

 distance of the gill-opening from the vent. Cleft of the mouth nar- 

 row, extending somewhat behind the eye, which is smaU, one-half 

 or one-third of the length of the snout, and situated in the anterior 

 fourth of>the length of the head. All the teeth small, equal, pointed, 

 fixed, in double series. Anterior nasal tube extremely short. Pec- 

 toral very small, one-fifth of the length of the head ; dorsal and 

 anal fins very low, commencing at a very short distance behind the 

 end of the pectoral. Tail one-third longer than the body. 



East Africa. 



a. Fourteen inches long. From Colonel Playfair's Collection. 



2. Mandibulary teeth uniserial. 

 a. Lips fringed. 



20. Ophichthys crocouilinus. 



Ophisui'us crocodilinus, Bennett, Froc. Com. Zool. Soc. 1831, p. 32. 

 Brachyaomophis horridus, Kaup, Apod. p. 9, fig. 6 ; Bleek. Versl. 8f 

 Meded. Ak. Wet. Amsterd. 1868, ii. p. 303. 



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

 giU-opening and the vent. Snout extremely short and rather flat- 

 tened, scarcely twice as long as the eye, which is small and situated 

 in the anterior ninth of the length of the head. Teeth pointed, 

 fixed, unequal in size ; those of the intermaxillary stand in a trans- 

 verse series ; maxillary teeth in a double row, those of the inner 

 row stronger and less numerous than the outer ; vomerine and 

 mandibulary teeth uniserial, large, canine teeth. Lijjs fringed *. 

 Gill-openings rather wide. Vertical fins moderately developed ; the 

 distance between the origin of the dorsal fin and gill-opening is 

 about two-fifths of the length of the head. Pectoral small. Body 

 longer than tail. Upper parts brownish, minutely dotted with 

 darker. A series of black pores along the lateral line ; sometimes a 

 whitish line across the occiput. 



Pacific ; Japan ; East-Indian archipelago ; Mauritius. 



a, h-c. Thirty-five inches long and half-grown. Galapagos Islands. 

 From the Haslar Collection 



Bennett's diagnosis is so accurate that the fish may be at once 

 recognized by it. The typical specimens from the Mauritius were 

 transferred from the collection of the Zoological Society to that 

 of the British Museum, and served Dr. Kaup in establishing the 

 synonymous " Brachysomophis horridus," as he mentions them in his 

 ' Catalogue of Apodal Fish,' although he omitted to trace their 



* The Iringes are not developed in young examples. 



