lf)8 OSTEOLOGY OF MUR/ENID.E GILL. 



Ill the relations of the parietal and opercular as well as pterygoid 

 bones the Manenids differ from the Angiiillids oidy in degree, and the 

 preoperculiim and pterygoid are manifest in the former, although less 

 developed than in the latter. Both want the symplectic. The maxil- 

 laries are developed, as Professor Cope later recognized.* The "in- 

 ferior pharyngeal bones" are also well developed in the Munienids, 

 and, although shifted from the fifth arch to the back of the fourth, f 

 they are evidently homologous with the inferior pharyngeal bones of 

 the true eels and other fishes. "Other superior branchihyals " (than 

 the fourth) are not "wanting or cartilaginous" for those of the first three 

 arches are developed in due proportion. 



Professor Cope recently has again defined the Colocephali,l contrasting 

 the group with the Enclielycephali (or true eels) and Lyomeri by their 

 having " opercular bones, and one osseous branchial arch, ceratohyal," 

 the Enclielycepliali having " five osseous branchial arches, with cerato- 

 hyal." 



But the five branchial arches of the Mursenids in part at least are also 

 ossified, as well as the ceratohyal {i. e. ceratobranchial), and the ele- 

 ments are developed as explained in the full description of the family 

 herewith given. 



Professor Cope in his first arrangement (Trans. Am. Phil. Soc, n. s., 

 V. 14, p. 456) recognized only one family of Colocephali, the Murcenidw, 

 but under the Unchelycephali he had a section (3.) distinguished by hav- 

 ing "no pectoral fins; no metapterygoid ; pterygoid a slender rod; 

 ethmoid much wider," and the section so distinguished was called the 

 family " Gymnothoracidcv.^^ It was later (Proc. Am. Phil. Soc, v. 21, p. 

 25) stated that the family Gymnothoracidw was a synonym of Muramidcv. 

 "Its presence out of place is probably the result -of a clerical mistake 

 in not eliminating it from a previous MS., written before the distinction 

 between the orders Enchelycepliali and Colocephali was recognized. As 

 it was inserted under the latter head, its omission from the former was 

 to be understood." 



Professor Cope in his later " observations " (Proc. A. A. A. S., 1871, 

 335, p. 1872) admitted two families in his order Colocephali, distin- 

 guished as follows : 

 "A glossohyal and osseous lateral branchihyals ; four opercular bones ; a scapular 



arch Batahuridoi. 



No glossohyal nor osseous branchihyals ; three or fewer opercular bones ; no scapu- 

 lar arch - Miiramidw. 



The RataburidcB (or Moringuidce) appear to be amply distinguishable 



* Proc. Am. Phil. Soc, v. 21, p. 583, 1884. 



t Professor Cope later (Proc. Am. Phil. Soc, v. 21, p. 584, 1884) explained that 

 "in the Colocephali all these elements (i e. glossohyal, " basihyals, and axial branchi- 

 hyals,"etc.) are wanting excepting the fourth superior pharyngeal, which has the form 

 of an antero-posteriorly placed dentigerous jaw, which opposes the lateral branchihyal 

 of the fifth arch, or, as it is generally called, the inferior pharyngeal." 



t Am. Nat., v. 23, p. 858, 1890. 



