APODAL FISHES OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. 
657 
aa. Head slenderer, its depth one-ninth its greatest length ; eye large, one-third the 
head without snout ; length of pectoral scarcely greater than height of anal, 
head 12, depth 58, in total length. Translucent; belly with close-set dark spots; 
its lower edge and anal fiu black, the back abruptly white and unspotted. 
Avocetta, 111. 
110. NEMICHTHYS SCOLOPACEUS. 
Nemichthys scolopacea Richardson, Yoy. Samarang, 25, 1848 (South Atlantic) ( fide 
Gunther) ; Giinther, yiii, 21, 1870 (Madeira) ; Peters, Monatsber. Akad. 
Wiss.,849, 1876 (New Guinea) ; Goode & Bean, Bull. Essex Inst., 26, 1«79 
(George’s Bank); Goode, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 485, 1880 (south of coast of 
New England); Goode & Bean, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.,225, 1883; Jordan 
& Gilbert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 366, 1883; Giinther, Yoy. Challenger., xxn, 
263, 1887 (Madeira). 
Lepiorliynchus leuchtenbergii Lowe, M<5m. Soc. Savans Etrangers, Petersburg, 171, 1854 
(Madeira). 
Belonopsis leuchtenbergii Brandt, Mdm. Soc. Sav. Etr., Petersb., 174, 1854 (with good 
plate) (Madeira). 
Habitat : Deep waters of Atlantic. 
Etymology : Latin, scolopax , snipe. 
This species is not rare in the North Atlantic, large numbers having 
been taken with the trawl off the coast of New England. 
111. NEMICHTHYS AVOCETTA. 
Nemichthys avocetta Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 409, 1880 (Puget Sound) ; 
Jordan &. Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 37, 1881 ; Bean, ibid., 266 (Puget 
Sound); Jordan &. Gilbert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 367, 1883; Gunther, Yoy. 
Challenger, xxn, 263, 1887 (copied). 
Habitat: Pacific coast of United States. 
Etymology : From the Avocet ( Recurvirostra }. 
Of this species a single specimen, 22 inches long, is known. It was 
taken near Seattle on Paget Sound, swimming near the surface. Its 
movements in life were very active. It is not unlikely that this species 
will prove identical with Nemichthys scolopaceus , which it greatly re- 
sembles. 
Family VII.— HETEROCONGRID^E. 
This group consists of the single genus, Eeteroconger. It appears to 
form a family distinct from the Congridce , if the naked Enchelyceplia- 
lous eels are not all to be referred to one family. 
The genus is thus defined by Dr. Giinther : 
ANALYSIS OF GENERA OF IIETEROCONGRIDiE. 
a. Body and especially tail exceedingly elongate, subcylindrical, scaleless; tail com- 
pressed ; snout obtuse, very short, with the cleft of mouth obliquely ascending 
upwards, the lower jaw projecting boyond the upper ; mouth small, extending 
to below front margin of the eye ; teeth small, acicular, in narrow bauds on 
the jaws and on the vomer ; nostrils very small, in front, of the eye ; gill-openings 
lateral, narrow slits; pectoral none, vertical fins rather low ; dorsal commencing 
at a short distance behind gill-opening HktjsjrocoNUER, 36, 
H. Mis, 274 42 ' 
