80 CATALOGUE OF FISH. 



tallest in the row, the following ones decreasing as usual towards the 

 corner of the mouth. In one specimen there is a tall, slender 

 tooth within the commencement of the outer row, but this is absent 

 in five or six other specimens, having probably been broken away. 

 The mandible is armed anteriorly by 3 tall, stout, subulate teeth on 

 each limb, with 2 or 3 minute ones between them, and laterally by 

 about 19 compressed, acute teeth, forming an even, low series. 



Dorsal commencing between the nape and gill-opening. Anus 

 about a twenty-fourth part of the total length before the middle of 

 the fish. Gape of the mouth large. 



Ground colour pale, with dark, liver-brown spots of various sizes, 

 from that of a pea downwards, and more or less confluent, but gene- 

 rally retaining a roundish form. The spots are smaller, rounder, 

 and more distinct on the head and more confluent near the end of 

 the tail, the pale ground-colour occupying, however, less space than 

 the spots, everywhere except on the cheeks. The tint of the spots 

 is less deep on the belly. 



Length, 23-5 in. To anus, 1075 in. To gill-opening, 3-4 in. 

 The species attains the length of upwards of 3 feet. 



Cuvier refers to the Munxna maculata, nigra of Catesby, t. 21, 

 as the type of his moringiia, but t. 20 agrees best with most of the 

 specimens we have examined. There is, however, no very marked 

 diff'erence between the figures, both being coarsely drawn. The 

 British Museum possesses a dried skin in which the pale inter- 

 sj)aces are narrower, and reduced nearly to the winding reticulations 

 of M. thyrsoidca. (Richardson.) 



Tail longer and more slender than in other species. 



The M. caramura of Castelneau is a paler variety, with an almost 

 flesh-coloured ground tint. The jaws, up to the corner of the 

 mouth, are black. On the throat there are interrupted black lines, 

 separated by cloud-like grey patches. Round the small gill-opening 

 there is a black wreath. On the body irregular spots, wlaich on the 

 paler fins are drawn out longitudinally. This specimen was brought 

 by Castelneau from Bahia. It is 20-28 in. long, whereof the tail 

 measures 1 1 -14 in. On the palatines there are only 14 teeth, and on 

 the vomer 10. 



Bermudas, Gulf of Mexico, Martinique, and Caribbean Sea gene- 

 rally. 



146. Thtsoidea stellifer. 

 Muraeua stellifer, Rich., Ereb. d Terr. p. 86. 



Biagn. Liver brown, with four rows of rather widely placed, pale 

 bluish or whitish round dots, a little radiated on their margins. 

 Tlie upper row runs along the base of the dorsal, and is not very^ 

 conspicuous unless the fin is raised ; the under one, traversing the' 

 belly, 18 regular, and the spots on the sides are very uniform in 



