MURJENTD.B. 89 



reflex. The anterior teeth are rather the longest ; but there is no 

 abrupt transition in the series. 



Head small ; gape large, with the eye placed decidedly before its 

 middle. Posterior nostrils not tubular.* Anus exactly in the mid- 

 dle of the length. The specimen is so much stuffed that the ori- 

 gin of the dorsal cannot be made out ; but posteriorly the fin 

 appears to have been high. The anal is sufficiently conspicuous. 



The ground-colour of the dried skin is dark purplish-brown, and 

 it is regularly marked by pale round dots, the largest not exceeding 

 the size of the head of a small pin. The dots are biggest and most 

 crowded on the head and fore part of the body, where they occupy 

 fully more space than the ground-colour. Posteriorly they are far- 

 ther apart, and are surrounded by dark borders ; and towards the 

 end of the tail they are not only more distant, but also decidedly 

 less. They are smaller throughout than the spots of imnctata of 

 Schneider, and still more so than those of pavonina. 



Length, 40-25 in. To anus, 2015 in. To gill-opening, 5*5 in. 



Madeira {Ricliardson). 



159. Thtbsoidea microdon, fig. 64. 



Thyrsoidea microdon, Kmip. 



Blunt head, tumid snout, and very short fore-nosti'il tubes. Eye 

 small, situated over the middle of the jaw. Dorsal commencing 

 over the gill-opening. 



Nasal teeth, two-ranked, the 6 forming the inner row bigger. 

 Palatines of the outer row, about 20 ; of the inner row, 5 taller 

 ones. Mandibulai's, 20, in the outer row ; 4 bigger ones, forming 

 the inner row, placed in front. 



Total length, 18-89 in. Length of tail, 9-44 in. 



Colour, dark bluish-violet, with black interrupted, branching, 

 vein-like lines. Across the occiput, a row of pores, which is con- 

 tinued by two short longitudinal lines behind the eye. 



160. Thyrsoidea chlorostigma. 



Thyrsoidea chlorostigma, Kaup. 



Ornamented with yellowish dots, of the size of partridge- shot, 

 bordered with black, and placed quite regularly at equal distances, 

 except that towards the end of the tail, they become more remote 

 from each other. At the end of the tail, alone, there is a yellowish 



* Sir John Richardson is mistaken in referring the fish here described to the 

 Miircena guttata of Banks and Solander, which is our Limamurcena guttata 

 (No. 170), and has the long posterior nostril-tubes, mentioned by Solander. As, to 

 prevent misapprehension, a new specific designation became necessary, I have used 

 my privilege of bestowing on it the name of my highly-valued friend Professor 

 August Dumeril. (Kavp.) 



N 



