Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 385 



and head conspicuous. South Carolina to Rio Janeiro, generally common, 

 especially about the Florida Keys and Cuba. The variations in the 

 .length of the trunk and tail have given rise to various nominal species. 

 One of these (macrurus, Poey) with the head and trunk 1* to 2 in the tail 

 instead of 14- to 15 as usual in gomesii may be a tangible variety, or possi- 

 bly a species. (Named for Dr. Ildefonso Gomes, who cured Castelnau of a 

 dangerous malady in Rio Janeiro.*) 



Ophisunts ijotnesii, CASTELNAU, Auim. Araer. Sud., 84, pi. 44, fig. 2, 1855, Rio Janeiro. 



Ophis'in-u* <7</y/M])s, POEY, Memorias, n, 321, 1867, Havana. 



OxydoHtichthys brachyurus, POEY, Synopsis, 426, 1868 ; and Poey, Enumeratio, n, 155, 1875, Ha- 

 vana. 



Oxyodonlichthys inacnmis, POEY, Anal. Soc. Hist. Nat. Esp., 254, 1880, Havana. 



Ojrij>luHtichthijs liiiilatus, POEY, Anal. Soc. Hist. Nat. Esp., 254, 1880, Havana, (name a substitute 

 for brachyurus). 



Ophichthys gomesii, GUNTHER, Cat., vm, 60, 1870. 



Ophirhthys <'ltrysoi>s, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 898, 1883. 



Ophichtkus gomesi, JORDAN & DAVIS, /. c., 632. 



632. OPHICHTHUS ZOPHOCHIR (Jordan & Gilbert). 



Dentition as in 0. gomesii. Pectoral longer, 2 to 2^ in head, longer than 

 the cleft of the mouth, which is 2| in head. Tail very nearly twice as 

 long as rest of body; snout rather long; interorbital space narrow, less 

 than eye ; nasal tubes rather long, flattened, the edge uneven ; dorsal 

 commencing over or in front of the middle of pectoral ; head 2 in 

 trunk ; head and trunk a little more than half the tail ; pectoral fin 2 in 

 head; eye H in snout, i greater than interorbital width ; gill opening 

 less than eye, 1 in isthmus. Color brown above, light yellow below; 

 opercular regions, lower jaw, throat, and pectoral dusky ; dorsal and anal 

 edged with black. Pacific Coast of Mexico, Guaymas to Acapulco ; 

 rather common. Close to 0. gomesii, but the pectoral longer. (60of, 

 darkness; x e ' l P> hand (pectoral fin).) 



Ophichthijs zophocliir, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 347, Mazatlan. (Type, 

 Nos. 28280, 28277, 29220, and 29239. Coll. Gilbert.) JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., 1882, 623. 



Ophichthus zophochir, JORDAN & DAVIS, I. c., 633. 



633. OPHICHTHUS MAGNIOCULIS (Kaup). 



Dentition f O. gomesii, but the head rather long, If to 24- in trunk. Tail 

 long, about 2 times length of rest of body ; pectoral 2 in head ; dorsal 

 inserted over middle of pectoral ; gape 2 in head ; head If in trunk; eye 

 about 2f in snout. Blackish, paler below; dorsal and anal yellowish 

 brown, dotted and bordered with black. West Indies to Brazil, scarce; 

 our specimen from Aspinwall. (magnus, great ; ocwZws, eye.) 

 Scytalophis magnioculis, KAUP, Apodes, 13, f. 7, 1856, St. Croix ; Brazil. 

 Ophichthi/s magniocnli*, GUNTHER, Cat., vm, 59, 1870. 

 Ophiclithus magnioculis, JORDAN & DAVIS, I. c., 633. 



* Je dedie cette espece a M. le docteur Ildefonso Gomes, comme un temoignage de ma recon- 

 naissance pour les soiiis desinteress6s qu'il in'a dounes a Rio de Janeiro en concurrence avec mon 

 ami le docteur Weddell, pendant la dangereuse maladie dont j'y fus atteint (Francis de Castel- 

 nau). 



F. N. A. 26 



