OPHIOMORPHA. 135 



Thanks to the researches of Muller, Hasselt, and Pe- 

 ters, we know something of the development of breath- 

 ing organs in this species. It seems that in a specimen 

 \]/ 2 inches long Muller first discovered the branchial 

 pores, and later, in a specimen 5 lines in length, saw the 

 same more precisely formed. Also Hasselt in one from 

 Java, saw these apertures, and located them in the centre 

 of the yellowish stripe. Peters, (15, a) on the contrary, 

 locates them in the upper border of the stripe, and deter- 

 mines that the forward gill slits are not one-half smaller, 

 as in Muller's example, but the same size as the hinder. 

 He also shows that distinct gills are not present, but pro- 

 jections of the skin beside and between the gill openings 

 are toothed and fringed so as to have allowed the pres- 

 ence of gills. Probably, therefore, they were present at 

 some stage in the animal's development. Also the eyes 

 in the young are much more distinct than in the adult, 

 and directly in front of each is an angular depression 

 larger than the fossa below and in advance of the eye. 



Epicrium monochrous, Blecker. 



This species is described in Natuurk, Tijdschr. Med. 

 Indie xiv. p. 188. 

 Habitat Borneo. 



