CONGERID.E. 113 



nasal bone, whose dental disk, nearly twice as broad as it is long, is 

 closely set with small, short, stonily subulate, atMite, somewhat re- 

 curved teeth. A smooth furrow separates this disk from the rather 

 prominent elliptical dental surface of the vomer, which is armed 

 with similar teeth, but which are less crowded on the mesial line. 

 The vomerine teeth do not go so far back as the prefrontal process. 

 The principal series of teeth on the palatines, when looked at in 

 situ, appear to be slenderly cylindrical, somewhat like the teeth of a 

 Chictodon, but they are in fact wedge-shaped, being transversely 

 wider at the base, and obliquely chisel-shaped and acute on the 

 edge. Being very closely and evenly set, the series as a whole is 

 incisorial. Close to their roots interiorly a few minute teeth may be 

 detected, situated so as to be ready to replace any of the main series 

 that may be injured ; and at a very small interval there is a very 

 low, even row, forming an interior acute ridge, just visible above the 

 soft parts. Near the symphysis this ridge terminates in a narrow 

 hand or cluster. On the outside, near the anterior end of the pala- 

 tine bone, the main d-ental ridge is supported by a villiform band of 

 small subulate teeth, which is broadest where it touches the nasal 

 disk, and tapers off to a point posteriorly, not reaching above one- 

 third of the length of the bone. The mandibular teeth are similar 

 to the palatine ones, but the outer villiform cluster at the symphysis 

 is broader. The small inner teeth of both jaws are concealed by 

 the soft parts in the recent fish. The upper and under pharyngeals 

 are densely covered with very fine villiform teeth, which are slightly 

 coarser on the inner borders of the bones. 



The pretty large, ovate pectoral is supported by seventeen rays. 

 The dorsal commences over the last quarter of the pectoral, and 

 contains about three hundred rays, while the anal is supported by 

 two hundred and fifty. They are boi^ered with black, as is the case 

 in the majority of Congers. The lateral line has a series of whit« 

 pores beneath it. [Bichanhon.) 



Length from 5 to 7 or 8 feet, 



European Seas. 



195. Conger niger. 



Conger niger, Risso, Hist. Nat. 201. 



Echellus macropterus, Rajinesque, Caratteti, 64, 165. 



The pectorals, though proportionally longer than in the common 

 species, do not reach to the commencement of the dorsal. Eye 

 larger, and more oval, its diameter exceeding half the length of the 

 snout. Head longer than in vuli;faris (194), and the lips more de- 

 veloped. According to Risso, the dorsal aspect is black, and the 

 ventral surface soiled white. This species does not attain the 

 great size of C. vulgaris. 



Total length, 22 in. Tength of tail, I 25 in. Diameter of the 



q 



