378 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



This species is very different from Pisoodonophis boro, and may prove the 

 type of a distinct genus, (cruentifer, bearing blood, bloody.) 



Pisodonophis cruentifer, GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 147, fig. 1G6, 1895, Gulf Stream. 



180. CALLECHELYS, Kaup. 



Callechelys, KAUP, Apodes, 28, 1856, (guicJienoti). 



This genus contains one American and three East Indian species, 

 agreeing in the elongate, compressed body, absence of pectoral fins, and 

 anterior insertion of the dorsal. In other respects Callechelys is close to 

 Ophichthus. (/ca/iof, beautiful ; e^pAvf, eel.) 



619. CALLECHELYS MUB^NA, Jordan & Evermann. 



Depth of body at gill openings a little more than length of upper jaw, 

 which is 3 in head ; head 8 in trunk, about 14 in total length ; eye small, 

 2 in snout, placed over the middle of upper jaw ; tip of lower jaw extend- 

 ing a little before the front of eye; gill openings small, inferior, sub- 

 longitudinal, the distance between them about half the height of one of 

 them ; dorsal fin beginning on the head, at a distance be hind the angle of 

 the mouth a little more than half the length of upper jaw. Dark olive, 

 closely mottled and spotted with confluent blotches of darker olive and 

 blackish, the spots more distinct anteriorly, posteriorly confluent, so that 

 the tail is nearly pla,in dusky ; belly scarcely paler, dorsal and anal chiefly 

 blackish with pale margins. Snapper Banks off Pensacola ; one specimen 

 known. (Murcena, from the general resemblance of the species to a young 

 Moray.) 



Callechelys mursena, JORDAN & EVERMANN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, 466, Snapper Banks; 

 JORDAN & DAVIS, /. c., 620. (Type, No. 37996. Coll. Stearns.) 



181. BASCANICHTHYS, Jordan & Davis. 



BascanicMiys, JORDAN & DAVIS, Apodal Fishes, 621, 1892, (bascaniuni). 



This genus is very close to Callechelys, from which it differs in the pres- 

 ence of pectorals, the long subterete body, lowerfins and plainer coloration. 

 Three species are known. (Bascanion, the black snake ; iytivq , fish.) 



a. Pectoral fin a slender rudiment not longer than eye ; head about 8 in trunk. 



b. Snout 6 to 7 in head ; no distinct spots on body. SCUTICARIS, 620. 



bb. Snout 5% in head ; a series of large spots between dorsal and lateral line. 



PENINSULA, 611. 



oa. Pectoral fin nearly as long as snout ; head about 10 in trunk. BASCANIUM, 622. 



620. BASCANICHTHYS SCUTICABIS (Goode & Bean). 



Pectoral fin a slender rudiment about as long as eye ; head moderate; 

 body terete, the trunk a little longer than the tail ; teeth short, bluntish, 

 recurved, uniserial in each jaw, biserial on vomer; head 8| to 9f in head 

 and trunk, 8 in tail ; snout 6 to 7 in head ; eye 2 in snout, a little behind 

 the middle of cleft, which is contained in the head 3f times ; lower jaw 

 extending forward to middle of snout ; distance from tip of snout to 

 beginning of dorsal a little over 2 in head ; gill openings vertical, their 

 length about equal to breadth of isthmus ; lateral line curved over the 



