76 TELEOSTET. rilYSOSTOMl. 



73. (1.) Mnrsena meleagris. 



Muraena meleagris, Shaw, Nat. Misc. p. 220, and General Zool. iv, 

 pt. i, p. 32 ; Day) Fish. India, p. 608 (see synon.). 



Length of head contained 3g to 3f times in the distance between 

 the end of the snout and the vent ; tail rather longer than the 

 trunk. Eyes small, 2| diameters from the end of the snout ; an- 

 terior nasal tubes very short. Length of cleft of mouth 2f in the 

 length of the head. The mouth can be completely closed. Gill- 

 opening narrow. Teeth in two rows, except on the vomer and 

 on the sides of the mandible. Canines rather small. Colour 

 brownish black, covered with numerous yellow dots that are smaller 

 than the eye. 



ffab. From the east coast of Africa, the Seychelles, and the 

 Mauritius throughout the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago 

 and the Pacific. This species attains a large size. 



74. (2.) Muraena tile. (Fig. 31.) 



Mursenophis tile, Ham. Buck. Fish. Ganges, pp. 18, 3G3. 

 Mursena tile, Day, Fish. India, p. G68, pi. clxx, fig. 4 (see synon.). 



Length of head 3f to 4| in the distance between the end of the 

 snout and the vent ; tail rather shorter than the trunk, or about 

 the same length. Eyes rather small, about 2 to 2| diameters from 



/If 



Fig. 31. Mitrana- tile and upper teeth. 



end of snout and situated slightly nearer to the angle of the mouth 

 than to the end of the snout; length of cleft of mouth about 3g in 

 that of the head ; anterior nasal tubes short. Gill-opening about as 

 wide as the eye. Teeth in two rows, except at the sides in the 

 lower jaw; canines small. Colour brownish yellow or greenish, 

 becoming lighter beneath; the body covered with small white spots, 

 specks, or marks, which sometimes have a dark border, or they 

 may be entirely absent in adults. 



Hab. Bourbon, seas and estuaries of Bengal to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago. M. tile ascends tidal rivers and is common in the Hooghly 

 at Calcutta, where it attains about 2 feet in length. 



