MUR/ENIDiE. 10;J 



merines make three rows ; iit the end they form four. Mandibulars 

 biserial, more obuise and triserial at the corner of the moulh. 

 Snout longer than the mandible ; and the eye situated over the 

 middle of the jaw. Anus in the middle of the whole length. 

 Dorsal equal in height to one-fourth the depth of the body, and 

 twice as high as the anal. Colour dark umber ; the ventral aspect 

 bluish-white. A black spot at the corner of the mouth. Black 

 longitudinal lines on the head and throat, and some white rings on 

 the end of the tail. 



Total length, 14 7(3 in. Diameter of the eye, 0-1 f)6 in. To the 

 corner of the mouth, 0-78 in. To the gill-opening, '2"01: in. To 

 the dorsal, 161 in. To the anus, 707 in. 



Mozambique (from Dr. Peters). 



180. POECELOPHIS LeCOMTEI. 



Poecilophis Lecomtei, Kaiq). 



Aj)proaches Peli very closely, but is separated from it by the 

 absence of the white disks round the pores, and by the hinder nos- 

 tril-tube being directed more backwards than forwards, and by its 

 being proportionally bigger. Colour black, ornamented along the 

 body by yellowish-brown occellated spots and marks like hierogly- 

 phics. 



Another specimen shows only a few yellowish-brown points, and 

 a very young individual is bedecked above and below by longitudinal 

 rows of points. 



Gaboon. Africa, (Paris Museum, From M. Aubry Lecomte). 



Genus 37. GYMNOMUPtiENA, Lacepede. 



Destitute of all the fins. Nasal teeth blunt, tessellated. The 

 teeth of the mesial line, and of the vomer, form, by their aggrega- 

 tion, a figure resembling the sole of a shoe. Rudimentary palatine 

 bones furnished with small toothlets disposed in two or three rows. 

 Body elongated and crossed by white bauds. 



181. Gymnomur^na fasciata, fig. CO, 



IMursenophis fasciatus, Hardw. Icon. ined. in Mus. Brit. 



Differing greatly from the more common G. zebra (182) by its 

 greater number of I'ound, blunt teeth in both jaws. The nasals and 

 vomerines cover a larger space, which has the form of the sole of a 

 hunter's shoe. The large specimen in the British Museum mea- 

 sures 27| in. in length, of which the tail constitutes 15f in. There 

 are from 100 to 114, more or fewer, interru|ited cross-bars on a dark 

 ground-colour. Muscat (Paris Museum, by M. Lelaucher.) Thespeci- 



