ON NORTH AMERICAN ZOOLOGY. 



219 



legists. Many more will doubtless be detected hereafter on the 

 coasts of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador. 



Discoboli. — About eight species of this family, belonging to 

 the genera lepadogaster, gobiesox, cyclopterus, and liparis have 

 been described as European. The American discoboli are almost 

 entirely unknown. 



Echeneideae. — ^The singular fish belonging to this family, 

 though they swim rapidly for a short time, do not appear ca- 

 pable of long- continued exertion. The necessity for this is indeed 

 obviated by the adhesive apparatus on the head, by which they 

 can attach themselves to the larger fishes, and especially to the 

 sharks. In this way they are carried about, and are always at 

 hand to feed on any morsels that may be detached when the 

 monster closes his saw-like teeth on his prey. They also stick 

 to the bottoms of ships, being attracted by the greasy washings 

 of the coppers thrown overboard by the cook, and thus they are 

 often carried beyond the warmer seas in which they are produced. 

 The two species which are best known have been taken on both 

 sides of the Atlantic, as well as in the Pacific. They range occa- 

 sionally northwards to England and the banks of Newfoundland. 



Ord. MALACOPTERYGII APODES. 



Fam. Anguilliformes. 



Muraena xanthomelas, Raf. Ohio. 



„ lutea, Id. do. 



„ helcsna, Cat. 20. Bahama*. 

 Mursenophis moringa, Cat. 21. do. 



„ meleagris, Mitch. U. S. 

 Saccophaiynx ampullaceus, Harwood, 

 Ph. Tr. Davis' Straits. 



„ chordatus, Mitch. 52° TV. lat. 

 Ammodytes lancea*, Cuv. Greenl. Fabr. 



„ fobianus*, Penn. N. York. Newf. 

 Ophidium stigma, Benn. Kotzebtie Sound. 



Muraena rostrata, Le Sueur, L. Cayuga 

 and Seneka. 

 bostoniensis, Id. Massach. 

 serpentina, Id. Lonff. Is. 

 argentea, Id. Boston Bay. 

 macrocephala. Id. Saratoga, 

 vulgaris*", Smith, Mass. N. York. 



MiT. 



conger*, Mitch. Surinam, do. do. 

 oceanica. Id. N. York, 

 latieauda, Raf. Ohio, 

 aterrima, Id. do. 



Anguilliformes. — From 25 to 30 species belonging to the 

 single family forming this order have been detected in the Eu- 

 ropean Seas. They are arranged by Cuvier in the genera an- 

 guilla, conger, ophisurirs, miircena, sphagebranchus, leptoce~ 

 jihalus, ophidium and ammodytes. The Nile supports another 

 generic form mxaeAgymnarchus. One of the species of sacco- 

 pharyn.v having been caught in mid-seas belongs as much to 

 Europe as to America. The members of the family existing in 

 the American waters are very imperfectly known. 



