OSTEOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FAMILY MUR^ENES- 



OCID^. 



Theodore Gill, M. D., Ph. D. 



The genus Muncne.sox was taken as the type of a family by Professor 

 Cope in his "Observations on the systematic rehxtions of fishes," but 

 without any indication of his reasons for, considering it as such. The 

 only information conveyed by Iiim was that contained in the following 

 synopsis: 



1. Palatopterygoid arch completed ; pectoral fins Congridw. 



2. Palatopterygoid arch represented by incoiupl^e pterygoid ; preniaxillaries more 



. , 1 , , S AuqniUidcv. 



widely separated < , , -^ 



( Mura'nesocia(v. 



The characters thus indicated prove on comparison of the several 

 types to be neither applicable nor distinctive. Murwnesox appears never- 

 theless to represent a distinct family most nearly related to the Congridce 

 and whose characteristics are here given. These, however, must (as in 

 the descriptions of other fomilies) be regarded as simply provisional, 

 and to be confirmed or modified by com{)arison with the characteristics 

 of other genera. Whether any other genera belong to the fjimily can not 

 be definitely ascertained till their anatomy is known. 



MUR^NESOCID^. 



Family synonyms. 



Mura>uesocida> Cope, Proc. Am. Ass. Adn. Sc, 1871, p. 334, 1872. 

 Muramosocida' GUI, Arraugomeut Fam. Fishes, p. 20, 1872. 

 Congridai geu Kaup et al. 

 Congroidei geu Bleeker. 

 Mura^nidje gen Giinther et al. 



Suhfamily synoiiyms. 



Miira?ne80ciua Giliithcr Cat. Fishes B. M., v. 8, p. 20, 1870. 



Congriformes miujenesoces Bleekcr, Atlas Ich. Ind. Neerlaud., v. 1, j). 19, 1864. 



Murajuesociua? Jordan tj- Gilbert, Syu. Fishes, N. A., p. 357, 1882. 



Diagnosis. 



Enchelycephalous Apodals with the tongue not free, the branchios- 

 tegal membrane connecting the opposite sides below, the epi pharyngeals 

 reduced to one pair, and the hypopharyngeals linguiform and encroach- 

 ing on the fourth branchial arch. 



Procewlkiga dfthe Nati(ta.al Mnsouni. Vol XIII— No. 815. 



