21. 0PHICHTHY8. !S;-5 



one-fourth of the length of the head, extending behind the small 

 eye. Teeth graniilar, triserial, except on the maxillaries, on which 

 they are biserial. Pectoral Jin extremely stiort ; dorsal commencinc/ 

 immediately behind the occiput. 



Cape Verde Islands ; Canary Islands ; "West Indies. 



o. Twenty-five inches long. Lanzarote. Presented by the Rev. R. 

 T. Lowe. 



b. Half-grown. Cape Verde Islands. Presented by the Rev. R. 



T. Lowe. 



c. Half-grown. West Indies. Presented by Ch. Darwin, Esq. 



I believe that this is the species named pardalis by Valenciennes, 

 although he does not mention the white centre of the brown spots, 

 which may have disappeared. Probably this is also the Pisoodonophis 

 oculatus of Kaup, which is (evidently erroneously) described as having 

 the body longer than the tail. Specimen c has been named Pisoodo- 

 nophis guttulatus by this gentleman. 



58. Ophichthys quincunciatus. 



Four alternate series of round brown sjjots along the body, the 

 uppermost on the back, partly extending on the dorsal. Dorsal 

 fin with a series of ill-defined spots along the margin, anal with a 

 series of spots similar to those on the body. The length of the head 

 is one-fourth of the distance of the gill-opening from the vent ; the 

 length of the body is four-fifths of that of the tail. Snout depressed, 

 pointed ; cleft of the mouth of moderate width, nearly one-fourth 

 of the length of the head, extending a little behind the eye. 

 Eye of moderate size, one-half of the length of the snout. Teeth 

 granular, those of the intermaxillary, vomer, posterior portion of 

 maxillary, and anterior of mandible in a triple series, the remainder 

 biserial. Pectoral Jin very short ; dorsal commencing on the nape , 

 dorsal and anal fins well developed. Head with rather numerous 

 round brown spots. 



Habitat ? 



a. Twenty -seven inches long ; tail sixteen inches. 



59. Ophichtliys actunmatus. 



Muraena acuminata, Gronov. Syst. ed. Gray, p. 21. 

 Pisoodonophis guttulatus, Kaup, Apod. p. 21, fig. 10. 

 Ophisurus longus, Poey, Repert. Fis.-nat. Cuba, li. p. 254. 



Two or three alternate series of round yellowish spots along the 

 body ; head with numerous small yellow spots ; spots on the dorsal fin 

 yellow, diffuse. The length of the head is one-fifth of the distance 

 of the gill-opening from the vent ; the leng>th of the body is three- 

 fourths of that of the tail. Snout rather short and obtuse ; cleft 

 of the mouth of moderate width, extending somewhat behind the 

 small eye. Teeth granular, biserial in young examples, but form- 

 ing broadish bands along the palate and manrlibles, and narrower 



(i 2 



