Classification of the Order A/odes. 381 



ectopterygoids, and praef rentals, is not in accord with the 

 systematic position assigned to this fij^h, and his figure leads 

 me to believe that it may belong to the family Dercetidae 

 and possibly to the genus Leptotrachelus. 



Family 2. Anguillidae. 



Dorsal and anal continuous with the reduced caudal ; 

 pectorals present ; body scaly ; vent remote from head. 

 Mouth terminal, witli lateral cleft extending to below eye ; 

 maxillary articulated with ethmoid near end of snout ; teeth 

 small, cardiform or villiform, in bauds ; nostrils lateral; gill- 

 openings well separated ; pharyngeal apertures of branchial 

 clefts wide. Frontals paired ; vomer ankylosed to etiimoid; 

 suspensorium directed obliquely forwards ; palato-pterygoid 

 well developed as an elongate lamina. 8 pectoral radials. 

 Neural spines slender, free ; no lateral transverse processes 

 (additional to parapopiiyses or hsemal arches) on caudal and 

 posterior prsecaudal vertebrae ; ribs and intermuscular bones 

 feeble. 



A single genus, Anguilla. 



Family 3. Simenchelidae. 



Simencheli/s parasitt'cus differs from Anguilla in the trans- 

 verse mouth, blunt uniserial teeth, and very large tongue ; in 

 osteological characters it is very similar to the Anguillidie, 

 but there are only 4 pectoral radials. The recently described 

 Gymnosimenchelys, Tanuka, is naked and has pluriserial 

 teeth. 



Family 4. Xenocongridae. 



Xeiioconger fryeri^ from Assumption (Regan, Trans. Linn. 

 Soc. 1912), differs from the Anguillidae in the absence of 

 scales and of pectoral fins and in the small pharyngeal aper- 

 tures of the branchial clefts. I have ascertained that the 

 frontals are paired, the palato-pterygoids are developed as 

 elongate laminae, and the caudal vertebrse lack lateral 

 processes. 



Family 5. MyrocongridsB. 



Naked, but traces of large regularly arranged scale-pouches 

 on the thorax ; body compressed, with the tail longer than 

 the trunk and the vertical fins well developed ; pectorals 

 present. Mouth terminal, with lateral cleft extending a little 

 behind eye ; maxillary articulating with ethmoiil near end of 



