74 mt7B-j;nid^. 



each with a whitish centre; margin. of the fin black; a series of 

 elongate blackish spots along its middle ; anal fin nearly immaculate. 

 The length of the head is two-ninths of the distance of the giU- 

 opening from, the vent. Snout tetrahedral, moderately pointed, 

 with the upper jaw slightly projecting beyond the lower. Cleft of 

 the mouth of moderate width, one-third of the length of the head ; 

 eye of moderate si/e, two-thirds of the length of the snout, situated 

 in the anterior third of the length of the head. Posterior nostril 

 in advance of the eye ; anterior with a rather long truncated tube. 

 Teeth of moderate size, pointed, fixed, uniserial in all the bones ; some 

 of the front teeth rather larger than the others. Pectoral fin small, 

 as long as the snout ; dorsal commencing opposite to the base of the 

 pectoral. Tail as long as the trunk without head. 

 Amboyna. 



a. Type of the speci b, 15 inches long. From Dr. Blocker's Col- 

 lection. 



41. OpMchthys altipinnis. 



Microdonophis altipinnis, Kaup, Apod. p. 6, fig. 3 (not 4). 

 Mursenopsis altipinnis, Bleek. Ned. Tydschr. Dierk. i. p 180. 

 Ophichthys altipinnis, Bleek. Atl. Ichthyol. Muran. p. 50, tab. 13. 



melanochir, Bleek. Ned. Tydschr. Dierk. i. p. 44 ; and Atl. Ichth. 



Mwcen. p. 51, tab. 48. fig. 3. 



Coloration uniform ; anterior part of the dorsal blackish ; pectoral 

 and margins of the dorsal and anal blackish. Dorsal fin elevated, 

 its anterior portion being nearly as high as the body underneath. 

 The length of the head is one-third or two-sevenths of the distance 

 of the gUl-opening from the vent. Cleft of the mouth of moderate 

 width, about one-third of the length of the head ; snout pointed, 

 wdth the upper jaw much projecting beyond the lower. Eye of 

 moderate size, rather less than one-half of the length of the snout, 

 situated on the anterior third of the length of the head. Posterior 

 nostril in advance of the eye. Teeth pointed, fixed ; the intermax- 

 illary teeth form a double longitudinal series, and are opposed to the 

 front teeth of the mandible, which are stronger than the others. 

 Maxillary, vomerine, and lateral mandibulary teeth uniserial. Pec- 

 toral two-fifths of the length of the head ; dorsal fin commencing 

 above the giU-opening. Body about three-fourths as long as the 

 tail. 



Celebes and Amboyna. 



a. Type of 0. melanochir, 27 inches long. Amboyna. From Dr. 

 Bleeker's Collection. 



3. Dorsal Jin commencing in advance of the giU-opening, 



42. Ophichthys calamus. 



The Iqjgth of the head is one-fifth of the distance of the gill- 

 opening from the vent. Snout convex, obtusely conical ; cleft of 

 the mouth of moderate width, one-fourth of the length of the head ; 



