82 MUHi^wTD^. 



of moderate width, one-fourth of the length of the head, extending 

 to the vertical from the hind margin of the orbit. Eye of moderate 

 size. Teeth obtusely conical (probably granular with age), biserial. 

 Pectoral fin extremely short ; dorsal commencing on the nape ; dorsal 

 and anal fins rather low. 

 Indian Ocean. 



a-h. Twenty-two inches long. Madagascar. Presented by Dr. J. 



E. Gray, 

 c. Twenty inches long. Banda. From Dr. Bleeker's Collection. 



56. Ophichthys breviceps. 



Ophisurus breviceps, Richards. Voy. Ereb. 8f Terr. Fish. p. 99. 



Pisoodonophis breviceps, Kavp, Apod. p. 20. 



coronata, Kaup, Aale Hambwrg. Mus. p. 14, tab. 2. fig. 1. 



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

 opening from the vent ; the length of the body is two-thirds of that 

 of the tail. Snout short, broad, the muscles on the occiput being 

 swollen, rendering the upper profile concave. Cleft of the mouth 

 rather wide, somewhat less than one-third of the length of the head. 

 Eye small. Teeth granular, forming a large, broad patch on the 

 intermaxillaries, and being arranged in two or three series on the 

 other bones. Pectoral fin rudimentary ; dorsal commencing imme- 

 diately behind the nape ; dorsal and anal fins well develo2)ed. Body 

 with two alternate series of round brown spots. 



"West Indies ; Pacific coast of Central America. 



a. Type of the species, 38 inches long. Presented by the lioyal Col- 



lege of Surgeons. 



b. Ten inches and a half long. Pacific coast of Central America. 



Presented by Capt. Dow. 



The characters are taken from the larger, typical example. Our 

 second example appears to belong to t}ie same species ; it is young, 

 ornamented with two series of large brown spots on the body ; head 

 with small black spots ; the dorsal fin with a black margin. The 

 nape is not more prominent than in other species of this genus. 



57. OpMchthys pardalis. 



Ophisurus pardalis, Valenc. in Webb ^ Berthel. lies Canar. Poiss. p. 90, 

 pi. 16. fig. 2, or Richards. Ereb. 8f Te7-r. Fish. p. 100. 



Pisoodonophis oculatus, Kaup, Apod. p. 22. 



Ophisurus latemaculatus, Poey, Repert. Fis.-nat. Cuba, ii. p. 252, 

 tab. 3. fig. 1 (head). 



Body with two series of brownish-black ocellated spots, each with 

 a white centre ; dorsal fin with irregular diffuse brown spots. The 

 length of the head is two-sevenths or two-ninths of the distance of 

 the gill-opening from the vent ; the length of the body is from 

 three-fourths to nearly two-thirds of that of the tail. Snout of 

 moderate length and width ; cleft of the mouth of moderate width. 



