oPHiDiNiii. 15:3 



of the tail. In the example in the Paris Museiuu, the point of 

 the snout projects, over and beyond the hare-like jaws. In this 

 skin I can neither discover the position of the anus nor the fins. 

 Whether the projection of the snout is normal, or whether it 

 depends on the drving and shrinking of the speciincii, nmst be 

 determined at some future time. 



This species has, seemingly, a like origin with tcenkt and 

 inarjiiuitits. 



•22. Leptocepiialus capensis, Lnlande. 



At the Cape of Good Hope there exists an elongated species, of 

 which a dried skin was presented by the above-named voyager (De 

 Lalande) to the Paris JMuseum. 



It has a taper-pointed head, and on the jaws one can discern 

 very slender, long, and pointed teeth, especially on the mandible. 

 The anus is 0'87 in. from the point of the tail. A row of points 

 exists on the short anal. 1 am unable to find either pectoral fins 

 or dorsal on this skin ; and the lateral line exhibits neither longi- 

 tudinal nor transverse rows of points. In this dried specimen the 

 colour is hazelbrowu ; but such was certainly not the original tint, 

 since all the other species are dead white. 



Family II. OPHIDINiE. 



Giidoid forms, destitute of ventrals ; with elongated, more or less 

 sword-shaped bodies, whose anal and dorsal fins coalesce at the point 

 of the tail, without a break. 



Genus 1. MAGH^RIUM, Richardson. 



D'uKjn. Anus terminating the proximal third part of iho scaly 

 body ; mandible destitute of barbels. 



Descr. A single row of teeth, running round the jaw. Dorsal 

 iin commencing a little posterior to the pectorals, and the anal fin 

 continued along the distal two-thirds of the length of the hsli. 

 Six branchiostegals. Lateral line ceasing under ilie tcntli dorsal 

 ray. No swim-bladder. 



1. Mach-^ekium subducens, Ulchiirdson. 

 Machaerium subducens, Rich., Ereb. '£ Terr. 72, pi. 41, f. l-'>. 

 Rays: P. 10; D. 71; C. 10; A. 00. 

 This fish attains a length of eleven inches. 

 Length from the tip of the snout to the gill opening . 1-62 in. 



aims 3-70 ,, 



X 



