MUR.ENIDiE. 75 



teeth in one row, but ^ of them standing a little out of line. 

 Palatine teeth biserial ; the outer row composed of M close-set, 

 low, even, b/iDidsh teeth; the inner one of 11 taller, more distant, 

 slenderly-subulate, but not very acute teeth. Fore half of the man- 

 dible armed by two rows of teeth ; the outer row consisting of 10 or 

 1 1 close-set low teeth, having compressed but not pointed tips; the 

 inner row of 5 or (3 taller ones, of which the 2 or 3 posterior ones 

 are bent back and are more acute. The posterior half of the jaw 

 is set with low, bluntish teeth, alternating with others a little taller, 

 somewhat recurved, and standing a little within ; but the two sets 

 are so close, that until very narrowly examined, they appear to form 

 one uneven row. 



A slender species. Under jaw shorter than the upper one. 

 Anus exactly in the middle of the length. Colour, liver-brown, 

 finely reticulated by grayish-white lines, forming small meshes, 

 which are roundish near the head, and squarish elsewhere ; but 

 they are not very visible, unless when examined with the aid of a 

 lens, the general tint appearing to the naked eye grayish-brown. 



Length, Q"2 in. Distance between the end of the snout and the 

 anus, 3*1 in. Distance from ditto to gill-opening, 0*73 in. 



Tonga Islands {Dr. M'WilUmn). 



The only spotless Murana, mentioned in Solander's notes of the 

 fish observed by him in the South Sea, is the M. erythroptera 

 quoted below. 



141, Thyrsoidea isingleena, fig. 57. 



Muraena isingleena, Rich., Voy. of Sulphur, 108, pi. 48, f. 1 ; Be- 

 port on the Fish, of China, Ereh. d- Terr. 86 ; Reeves, Icon, in 

 Brit. Mus. 237 ; Hardw. 305 ; Brit. ]\[us. 



Diayn. Ground-colour, yellowish-brown, broken by many black 

 spots, varying in size from that of a pea to a small bean, but often 

 aggregated into irregular patches of larger size. The meshes are 

 never so regular as in tessellata. 



About 10 uuiserial, marginal nasal teeth, subulate and acute, with 

 no small ones intervening. Three tall ones on the mesial line of 

 the disk, and one row of very short, acute vomerine teeth. Eleven 

 or 12 reflex palatine teeth, the 3 heading the series smaller, 

 and within them 2 taller, slender teeth, forminy the second row. The 

 mandible has 10 or 11 lateral teeth, with 4 larger ones more widely 

 set at the fore end of the limb. The head is covered with spots of 

 the size of a pea, in -which it differs from hullata, which has only 

 a few small dots on the head. The furrows on the throat are not 

 black, and the spots are scattered over the belly, in which respect 

 also it differs from hullata. No white edges to the fins. Eye 

 rather small, placed over the middle of the jaws. Gape of tlae 

 mouth moderate. Dorsal commencing before the gill-opening, and 



