MURAENA maculata, nigra & virdis. 
The Muray. 
HE ftru€ture of this Fifh 
refembles that of our com- 
es 10 62 (Be 
mon Eel; the iris of the eye 
two flefhy barbels 
hang from the noftrils; a fin with an even 
white 5 
white ridge begins behind the head, and 
extends the whole length of the back. 
The whole body is covered with a light 
erey fkin, fprinkled with innumerable black 
One kind of this Fith ts green, and 
fpotted in the fame manner with black, 
{pots. 
perhaps of different fex only. However, 
the inhabitants of the Bahama Mes will 
eat only the green fort, rejecting thofe 
which are black, as thinking them pot 
fonous. It is cuftomary and frequent for 
thefe Fifh, as they lie lurking among the 
hollow rocks and corals, to bite peoples 
legs that are expofed to them, though 
their bite is of no other ill confequence 
than fetching blood. 
NS 
© forme a 
mune: Viris de fes yeux eft 
blanche: deux longues excre- 
feences charnues pendent de fes narines ; & 
une nageoire, dont le bord eft blanc & égal, 
commence derriere la tite, & sétend fur 
toute la longueur du dos. Tout le corps 
eff couvert dune peau dun gris clair, 
moucheté dune infinité de taches notres. 
Il y en a une efpece qui eft verte & 
mouchette de noir aufi: peut-ttre wefi-ce 
gue le fexe qui eft different. Quoiquil en 
foit, les habitans des tles Bahama ue veulent 
manger que Tefpece verte, &F rejettent ceux 
qui font noirs, les croyant ventmeux. Souvent 
ces Poiffons, lorfqwils fout cachés dans les 
roches creufées, ou parm les coraux, mor dent 
les jambes des hommes qui fe trouvent & leur 
portée; mais ces morfures wont d autre 
Jfuite que de tirer un peu de fang. 
