PISHES WAITE. 195 



HEMIRHAMPHUS, Cuvier. 

 HEMIRHAMPHUS BALINENSIS, Sleeker. 



Hemirhamphus balinensis, Bleeker, Nat. Tydschr. Ned. Ind., 

 xvii., p. 170. 



I was at first inclined to regard this "half-beak" as H. 

 intermedius. It agrees more nearly with Bleeker's species, and 

 as Cantor has decided that they are specifically distinct, I have 

 no alternative but to name our single example as above. It is 

 not in good condition, and therefore not suitable for purposes of 

 re-description. In company with Flying Fish, the Hemirhamphi 

 were attracted to the canoes at night by means of flaming palm 

 brands, and were secured in hoop nets within the lagoon. 



MUR^ENID^E. 



OPHICHTHYS, Ahl. 



OPHICHTHYS COLUBRINUS, Boddaert. 



(PI. viii., fig. 3.) 



Ophichthys colubrinus, Boddaert, Neue Nord. Beytr. (Pallas's), 

 ii., 1781, p. 56, pi. ii., fig. 3 ; Quoy & Gaim., Voy. Uran., I., 

 p. 243, pi. xlv., fig. 2. 



The three examples obtained agree in having the transverse 

 bands widely interrupted beneath, so that in reality they are 

 only half-bands adorning the dorsal surface. In some examples 

 the bands are nearly as wide as the interspaces, in ours they are 

 very narrow, being but one-sixth the width of the interspaces. 

 There is no dark spot between the bands as found in some 

 specimens, and figured by Quoy and Gaimard. 



Wyatt Gill* describes how eels live in holes in the coral and 

 attain formidable dimensions ; he also gives a very recognisable 

 illustration of a typical example of this species. 



The native name is " Boureriva." 



MUR^NA, Artedi. 

 MuR-ffiNA FORMOSA, Bleeker. 



Murcena formosa, Bleeker, Ned. Tydschr. Dierk., ii., p. 51 ; 

 Atlas Ichth., p. 94, pi. clxxiv., fig. 1. 



In its general form and proportions, the single specimen secured, 

 approaches most nearly to this species, but of its absolute identity 

 I cannot be certain. The colouration and general pattern agree 

 well with Bleeker's figure of the adult, and our example exhibits 

 the black spot at the angle of the mouth, and the dark blotch on 



* Gill Life in the Southern Isles, 1876, p. 279. 



