83 CATALOGUE OF FISH. 



semi-oval. On the mesial line 2, the posterior one the tallest. 

 Palatines of the outer row, 13, of equal height; of the inner row, 

 3, thinner and tallei-. Vomerines, 21, short, hut pointed; the 

 anterior six jmirs foitning a double roiv. Mandibulars, 20, 4 

 movable ones in front in an inner row (2 of them broken away 

 in the specimen). 



The anterior nasal tube reaches over the lip, and the posterior one, 

 which is slightly bordered, looks backwards. Diameter of the 

 middle-sized eye contained once and a half in the length of the 

 snout ; it is nearer to the tip of the latter than to the angle of the 

 mouth. Mouth pretty large. Dorsal commencing over the gill- 

 opening. 



Ground-colour yellowish-brown ; the head dotted with black and 

 marbled with white ; irregular white spots enclose the labial pores. 

 ]\Iany irregular bands, connected by reticulations, exist on the 

 body and fins. Short rough protuberances are situated on the edge 

 of the lips. 



Total length, 10-04 in. Length of tail, 492 in. 



Moluccas (Leyden Museum. Two specimens ; one of them nearly 

 black). 



y. Nasal teeth biserial ; vomerines uniserial. 



158. THYKSOrDEA AUGUSTI. 



Thyrsoidea Augusti, Kanp. 



Murajna guttata. Rich., Ereb. <& Terr. 90. 



Murfcnophis punctatus, Paris Mus. 



Diagn. Numerous pale dots, not exceeding the size of the head 

 of a small pin. 



Nasal teeth in two series, so closely approximated that they appear, 

 until narrowly examined, to be in but one. The outer row is com- 

 posed of about 9 very short, stoutly-subulate, acute teeth, alternat- 

 ing with an inner row of 8 taller, conico-subulate, very acute ones, 

 whicli are irregular in height, and variously recurved and reflex. 

 The mesial line of the disk supports 3 tall stoutly-subulate teeth, 

 and on each side of the hindmost of these there is a tooth equally 

 tall, and almost filling the space between it and the marginal rows. 

 There are also several smaller and shorter teeth scattered over the 

 disk, so that in this species the nasal bone is pre-eminently deuti- 

 ferous. Vomerine teeth, 11, nniserial, short, and compressed at the 

 tips ; hut not pointed. Palatine teeth biserial ; the outer row con- 

 sisting of 14 short, slightly-recurved, and reflex teeth, which dimi- 

 nish gradually in size from the fifth, or tallest, to the corner of the 

 mouth ; the inner row is some distance from the outer one, and 

 reaches nearly as far back ; it is formed by 8 taller and more dis- 

 tant subulate teeth. Each limb of the mandible is armed by about 

 21 acute teeth, all in one row, mostly recurved, and slightly 



