Jordan and Ever mann. Fishes of North America. 371 



upper jaw; no teeth on vomer in two specimens examined; tongue not 

 free ; lower jaw considerably shorter than upper, its edge considerably 

 curved, concave in outline. Nape somewhat elevated j top of head with 

 large pores. Head 5| in distance from snout to vent ; head and trunk a 

 little shorter than tail; body slender, its greatest depth a little more 

 than length of gape. Pectoral short and broad, slightly longer than 

 snout; the gill opening short, oblique, extending downward and back- 

 ward from near middle of base of pectoral. Dorsal fin beginning behind 

 vent, at a distance about equal to length of gape ; the fin very low in 

 front, becoming gradually higher towards the tip of tail ; anal low, but 

 well developed, considerably higher than dorsal, highest anteriorly, 

 uniting with the dorsal around the tail. Dark brown, apparently uni- 

 form, somewhat paler below. Length 15 inches. Egmont Key, Florida. 

 One specimen known. 



Myropltis egmontis, JOED AN, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1884, 44, Egmont Key, Florida. 



(Type, No. 35086. Coll. Jordan.) 

 Aldia egmontis, JOBDAN & DAVIS, I. c., 639. 



173. MYROPHIS, Liitken. 



Myrophis, LUTKEN, Vidensk. Meddel. Nut. Foren. Kjiibenhavn, 1, 1851, (punctate*). 



Boby slender, subterete. Pectoral fins small, but present; vertical fins 

 low, surrounding the tail; dorsal beginning before the vent. Voinerine 

 teeth anteriorly in two or three series. Three species of small eels, 

 resembling earthworms, found on the sandy shores of tropical America. 

 (fj,vpo<;, Myrus, a genus of eels; bfyig, snake.) 



a. Base of pectoral half width of gill opening ; snout very narrow. PUNCTATUS, 608. 



aa. Base of pectoral as wide as gill opening ; snout almost as broad as long. VAFEB, 609. 



608. MYROPHIS PUNCTATUS, Lutken. 



Base of pectoral fin half width of gill opening ; snout very narrow ; 

 jaws weak; width of snout between the anterior nostrils less than diam- 

 eter of eye ; width of interorbital space equal to eye ; greatest width of 

 head less than that of body behind the gill openings ; teeth uniserial on 

 vomer and mandible, biserial on maxillary ; head 3 times in trunk, 7 

 times in the tail ; depth of body at gill openings 2f in head ; eye 2 in 

 snout, which is 6 in head ; gape 3| in head ; upper jaw projecting. General 

 color light brown, the sides and back punctate with dark brown dots ; 

 belly and throat plain, except a little patch of dusky points below the 

 gill openings. West Indian Fauna; coast of Texas to Surinam ; common 

 along our Gulf Coast; resembling an earthworm and scarcely larger. 

 (punctatus, speckled.) 

 Mi/rophis punctatm, LtJTKEN, Vid. Med. Naturh. Foren. Kjoben., 1, 1851, West Indies; JOBDAN, 



Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1883, 282 ; JOBDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. HUB., 1884, 33 ; JOBDAN & 



DAVIS, I. c., 640. 

 Myrophis longicollis, KAUP, Apodee, 30, 1856, (not Murxna longicollis CUVIER, which ia Echelm 



myrvs). 

 Myrophis microsligmius, POEY, Repertorio, n, 250, 1867, Cuba; JOBDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 900, 



1883. 

 Myrophis lumbricus, JOEDAN & GILBEBT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 261, Galveston, Texas. 



(Type, No. 30896. Coll. Jordan.) JOBDAN & GILBEUT, Synopsis, 899, 1883. 



