2806 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



Mouth closing completely, the teeth entirely concealed by the lips. Gape 

 straight, horizontal, extending to well behind the eyes, 2 to 2 in head. 

 Teeth in jaws large, compressed, and wide at base, tapering uniformly to 

 an acute point, directed backward, close set, everywhere uniserial; those 

 in sides of mandible noticeably smaller than those of upper jaw, the 

 teeth in both jaws increasing in size anteriorly; as many as 18 or 20 teeth 

 may be present in the half of either jaw, but many of them are usually 

 wanting, leaving gaps in the series; a single row of small teeth on shaft 

 of vomer, beginning opposite front of eye; head of vonier with 2 long 

 canines, larger than any of the other teeth, one or both of these usually 

 wanting in larger specimens, having apparently fallen out. Head 2 

 (!}- to 2^-) in trunk; head and trunk li to 1} in tail; depth at anus 

 approximately \ length of head ; eye small, its diameter contained 12 to 

 16 times in head; snout 5 to 5. Dorsal beginning on the head, its dis- 

 tance from snout \\ to 1 in head. Color dark brown, lighter on belly, 

 dull whitish on under side of head; head, body, and fins closely covered 

 with white spots, those on posterior parts larger, with some smaller ones 

 intermingled, the larger spots with a more or less evident central constric- 

 tion which makes them hourglass-shaped; toward the head the spots 

 become very small and crowded, not more than -J as large as pupil; fins 

 indistinctly light margined; a large elliptical jet-black blotch surrounds 

 the gill slit, distinctly margined by a series of confluent white spots ; the 

 longitudinal diameter of the blotch is contained 5 to 5 times in the length 

 of the head; angle of mouth with a small black blotch, often obscure, 

 preceded by a pale spot on mandible ; the throat is marked with a num- 

 ber of parallel lengthwise folds, the bottom of each fold with a dark line. 

 The following table gives measurements in millimeters of 5 specimens: 



This species is abundant at Panama, where it is frequently brought to 

 market. About 25 specimens were seen during our visit, all essentially 

 alike in coloration. The type is 397 millimeters long (see table of measure- 

 ments), and has the spots on body less numerous than in larger specimens. 

 (clepsydra, KXsifjvdpa, an hourglass, from its markings.) 

 Murcena clepsydra, GILBERT, Fishes of Panama, MS. 1898, Panama. 



Page 410. It is probable that several species are confounded under the 

 name Elops saurus. According to Ogilby the Australian species has only 

 63 vertebraj. 



