122 CLASS XIV. 



Anguilla THUNB. (spec, of Murcena L.). Teetli subulate in jaws 

 in a narrow belt and in anterior "part of vomer. Opercular bones 

 small, surrounded by numerous incurved, slender rays of the bran- 

 chiostegous membrane. Branchial apertures at the base of pectoral 

 fins. Anterior orifice of nostrils tubular, in the apex of snout. 

 Dorsal and anal fins produced to the apex of tail, and confluent. 



Anguilla Guv. Dorsal fin commencing at half the interval 

 between head and the beginning of anal fin. 



Sp. Anguilla vulgaris FLEMING, Murcena anguilla L., BLOCH Ichth. Tab. 73; 

 the common eel, VAnguille, der Aal; the under jaw is longer than the upper. 

 This fish is generally known, and becomes 2 or 3 feet long. There are 

 several varieties (or species according to some writers), which have been 

 described under distinct names, and have been observed amongst us ; we 

 record only Anguilla acutiroslris YARRELL, Brit. Fish. n. p. 284, Anguilla 

 latirostris YARRELL, 1. 1. p. 298 ; the figure of BLOCH, cited above, belongs 

 to Anguilla acutirostris. Both Norwegian and English naturalists have ob- 

 served the young eels in the Spring to ascend in the mouths of rivers in large 

 troops, even by day, at which time the full-grown eels, as is well known, keep 

 themselves concealed. Although no direct observations on the propagation 

 of eels are yet known, it is nevertheless very improbable that they should 

 be viviparous ; sometimes intestinal worm shave been mistaken for embryos; 

 compare CREPLIN in Arckivf. Naturgeschichte, vn. 1841, s. 230 233. 



On the generation of the eel see H. RATHKE Bemerlcungen ueber einen 

 hochtrdchtigen Aal, MUELLER'S Archiv, 1850, pp. 203 206. 



Conger Cuv. Dorsal fin beginning above pectoral fins. (Upper jaw pro- 

 tracted beyond the lower.) 



Sp. Conger vulgaris, Murcena conger L., BLOCH Ichth. Tab. 155, YARRELL 

 Brit. Fishes, II. p. 304 ; conger-eel ; the dorsal fin is edged with black, and 

 extends close to the pectoral fins; the lateral line is dotted white. This 

 fish becomes 6 feet long. Specimens have been recorded of even 10 feet in 

 length. 



Murcena THUNB., Crymnothorax BLOCH, Murcenophis LACEP. 

 (Species from genus Murcena L.). Teeth in jaws in one or more 

 rows, sometimes crowded; teeth in vomer, often large, conical, 

 sometimes in a single longitudinal row, in the middle of bone. 

 Opercular bones small, surrounded by circular rays of the branchio- 

 stegous membrane, very thin, concealed under the skin. Apertures 

 of branchiae small, lateral. Pectoral fins none. 



On the teeth of the different species of this genus compare Cuv. R. Ani. 

 i> PP- 35 !> 352 (sec. <$dit.)and OWEN Odontography, pp. 164166, PI. 56. 



Sp. Murcena Helena L., BLOCH Ichth., Cuv. R. Ani., ed. ill., Poiss. PI. 109, 

 fig. 2. A figure of the skeleton is to be found in KOSENTHAL Ichthyot. 



