NARCACION PANTHERA. 307 



joined in a quadrangular flap free on the margin, forming an upper lip; posterior 

 valves curving forward on the outer side of the nostril and in the inner section 

 turning back toward the angle of the mouth. Mouth moderate, with a longi- 

 tudinal fold at each angle; teeth small, with an acute cusp, in M rows on a nine 

 inch specimen and on one of twelve inches and a half in ft rows. Eye small 

 less than one third of the length of the snout. Spiracle larger than the eye, 

 with rudimentary fringes, 3-7, more distinct on the young, apparently disap- 

 pearing on the old. Dorsals small, rounded; anterior dorsal nearly twice the 

 size of the posterior, with the forward haK of its base above the bases of the 

 ventrals; base of second dorsal less than its length from that of the first. Tail 

 short, about four ninths of the total length, origin of lateral folds about opposite 

 that of the first dorsal; caudal about as deep as long, upper lobe slightly the 

 longer. 



Brown more often with five ocellate black spots at the angles of a pentagon 

 in cases with more or varying to but one or, rarely, to none. Some individuals 

 have small spots of white more or less symmetrically arranged, others are clouded, 

 blotched, or spotted with dark and with light. 



Total length of specimen in hand 9, length of disk 4f , width of disk 5, and 

 length of body cavity 5| inches. 



Mediterranean and the neighboring Atlantic. 



NaRCACION PANTHERA. 



Torpedo marmorata var. y, panthera Olfers, 1831, Torpedo, p. 15, 16. 



Torpedo marmorata var. c. Henle, 1834, Ueber Narcine, p. 30. 



Torpedo panthera Ruppell, 1835, Neue wirb. Abyssinien, Fische, p. 68, pi. 19, f. 1; Muller & Henle, 



1841, Plagios., p. 193; Dumeril, 1865, Elasm., p. 510; Gunth., 1870, Cat. fishes Brit, mus., 8, p. 



451. 



Disk subcircular, wider than long. Snout short, length greater than width 

 of mouth, nearly straight across the front. Mouth medium, with a longitudinal 

 fold at each angle. Teeth small, broad-based, crown with a slender acute cusp, 

 rows 36 on a specimen of ten and one fourth inches. Eye very small, about 

 one fifth of the length of the snout. Spiracles larger than the eye, fringed 

 irregularly, about three diameters from the eyes; papillae of the fringes five or 

 six, posterior one larger. Dorsals small, with blunted inner angle, upper ex- 

 tremity rounded; origin of first dorsal above the end of the vent, end of base in 

 front of the ends of the bases of the ventrals ; origin of second little behind ventral 

 bases. Tail hardly more than one third of the total length, small, weak, 



