drummond"'s echiodon. 41 



This specimen, Mr. Thompson observes, "being, so far 

 as known to me, unique, I have been unwilling to injure its 

 appearance by dissection. In external characters it is ex- 

 cluded from the ophidia proper in consequence of not having 

 the barbules ; and though agreeing with the Fierasfers in the 

 negative character of wanting these appendages, yet, by having 

 the dorsal fin strongly developed and elevated, it ranges not 

 with them." 



" Its want of the very obvious character of the Ophidia, 

 renders all comparison with them unnecessary ; but of two 

 species belonging to the Fierasfers, and which approach the 

 present specimen most nearly, I may state that it possesses 

 many of the characters of the Ophidium Jierasfer of Risso, 

 but differs from that species in the teeth, (both jaws are de- 

 scribed as armed with three rows of sharp and hooked teeth,) 

 number of fin-rays, and some minor characters ; besides, there 

 is nothing said of the remarkable teeth terminating both jaws, 

 as exhibited in my specimen. In the Regne Animal we again 

 find an Ophidium dentatum described as having in each jaw 

 " deux dents en crochets,''^ but no further details are given. 

 In this only character, however, the Ophidium dentatum dif- 

 fers from my fish, which has four large hooked teeth in the 

 upper and two in the under jaw." 



" Although when this fish first came into my possession, 

 I saw that it might be classed under the Malacopteri/gii 

 Apodes, and be placed near Ophidium, I considered that in 

 a natural arrangement it would best constitute a new genus 

 of the family Tftnioidea (Riband-shaped). In being apodal 

 it was not excluded from this family, as two genera belonging 

 to it are destitute of ventral fins. I did not hesitate to place 

 it under the Acanthopterygii, as some genera which are in- 

 cluded in this order are, like it, strictly Malacopterygian, 

 their natural connexion with genera having fins with spinous 

 rays being considered — and in my opinion most philoso- 



