92 CATALOGUE OF FISH. 



Oil the mesial line of the disk, the foremost being the tallest, and 

 ran^iii" with the interior marginal row. Vomerine teeth, conico- 

 suhuhtte, short and acute, disposed in one row anteriorly, but se- 

 parating into two posteriorly. Palatine teeth, about 15 in the outer 

 feeries, close set and retlex ; the first 4 augment successively in 

 height, the fourth being the tallest in the series : the succeeding 

 ones are considerably shorter, and diminish gradually in size as 

 they approach the corner of the mouth. The inner series stands 

 at some distance from the outer one, and is composed of 8 tail, widely- 

 set teeth. At the fore part of the bone, there are 2 teeth, of in- 

 termediate height, between the rows, making three rows there. 

 IMandible, a little recurved, and armed on each limb by 28 acute, 

 slightly-recurved teeth, of unequal height, the inequality being 

 greatest among the anterior ones. At the end of the jaw, there is 

 an inner semicircle of taller teeth, not far removed from the outer 

 one. Eye rather before the middle of the gape. Snout bluntish, 

 with the head apparently gibbous in front. Body high and com- 

 pressed. Dorsal commencing a very little before the gill-opening. 

 Anus, one-thirteenth of the whole length, before the middle of the 

 fish. 



The colours of the specimen have partially perished, but where 

 they remain, the ground tint is a rich chestnut-brown, thickly 

 studded with small pale spots, placed at pretty regular distances in 

 each locality. On the fore part of the body they are mostly angu- 

 lar, lunate, or oblong ; on the tail, rounder and more distant, and 

 none of them exceed the head of the smallest pin in size. They 

 extend to the end of the snout. Interior of the mouth marked by 

 liturate brown spots. 



Length, 20 in. Length, from end of snout to anus, 9-35 in. 



This description is drawn up from Shaw's specimen preserved in 

 the British Museum. {Puchardson.) 



Southern Ocean (Shaw). 



160. Thyksoidea geisea, fig. 95. 



Murconophis griseus, Comnierson, Lacep. v., pi. 19, f. 3. 

 Mura3na biliiieata et geometrica, Riipj). Neue Wirlheth. 84 et Atlas. 

 Head, marked by rows of points, which form angular figures; 

 on the lateral line, line points, which in many specimens are inter- 

 rupted by bigger dots. Anal tin traversed longitudinally by two 

 brown stripes, which are not perceptible in all specimens, having, 

 pcrhajjs, in some, been effaced by immersion in spirits. According 

 to liuppcll, the head is lake-red, the body diluted yellowish-gray, 

 with a line white longitudinal line. Dorsal, which commences at 

 the occiput, bluish, and anal flesh-coloured. Nasals, two-rowed; 

 vomerinos, two-rowed, the rows running into one posteriorly. The 

 species attains a size of two feet. Dr. Hiippell obtained his speci- 



