668 PHTSOSTOMI. 



C. — Teeth generally obtuse or molariform. • 



17. Murcena zebra. Tail 1/3 of the total length. Brown, with from 30 to 100 narrow white or yeUow 

 rings. Red Sea, Bast Coast of Africa to the Malay Archipelago and the Pacific. 



18. Murcena nebulosa. Tail a little shorter than the trunk. Prom 20 to 25 dark blotches along the side 

 with some white spots in the centre of each. Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans. 



19. Murcena polyzona. Tail 1/3 longer than the trunk. Brown with from 25 to 30 narrow, yellow, whole 

 or half bands. Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans. 



20. Murmna nigra. Tail about as long as trunk. Black. Andamans, 



A. — Teeth pointed : the posterior nostrils not Miular. 



a. — Tail and trwnh of about the same length. 



1. Mursena meleagris. 



Shaw, Nat. Misc. p. 220 and General Zool. iv, pt. i, p. 32 ; Richards. Voy. Erebus and Terror, Fish. p. 

 93 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 100. 



Thyrsoidea chlorostigma and meleagris, Kaup, Apodal Pish, pp. 89, 91. 



Murcena chlorostigma, Bleeker, Pische Java, p. 160. 



Gymnothorax chlorostigma, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 97, t. clxxviii, f. 2. 



Gymnothorax meleagris, Bleeker, Pauna Madagas. pt. iv, Poissons, p. 73. 



Length of head 3^ to 3| in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail rather longer 

 than the trunk. Eyes — snjall, 2j in the length of the snout : anterior nasal tubes very short. Length of cleft 

 of mouth equal to 2| in the length of the head. The mouth can be completely closed. Gill-opening narrow. 

 Teeth — in two rows, except on the vomer and side of the mandibles. Canines rather small. Colours — brownish, 

 black, covered with numerous yellow dots that are smaller than the eye. 



Habitat. — Prom the East Coast of Africa, the Seychelles and the Mauritius throughout the seas of 

 India to the Malay Archipelago and the Pacific. It attains a large size. 



2. Muraena tile, Plate CLXX, fig. 4. 



Mwrcenophis tile. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 18, 363. 



Strophidon* literata, punctata and maoulata, Cal. Joum. Nat. Hist, v, pp. 186, 187, 202, 203, 215, and 

 pi. vii, figs. 2 and 3. pi. viii, fig. 1. 



Mv/rcena vermiculata and gracilis, Richards. Erebus and Terror, Pish. p. 92 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 78, 



Murcena punctata and literata, Bleeker, Muraen. p. 42. 



Murcena tile, Cantor, Catal. p. 331 ; Bleeker, Beng. pp. 78, 159, and Borneo, p. 427 ; Gunther, Catal. 

 viii, p. 112. 



Mu/rcena literata, Bleeker, Beng. p. 78. 



Thyrsoidea tile, Kaup, Apod. p. 93, f. 66. 



Gymmothorax tile, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 97, t. clxxviii, fig. 1, and Fauna Madagas. pt. iv, Poiss. p. 73 • 

 Kner, Novara Pische, p. 335. 



Length of head 3f to 4^ in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail rather shorter 

 or about the same length as the trunk. Eyes — rather small, about 2 to 2| diameters from the end of snout and 

 situated slightly nearer the angle of the mouth than to the end of the snout : length of cleft of mouth equals 

 about 3j in that of the head : anterior nasal tubes short. Gill-opening about as wide as the eye. Teeth — in two 

 rows, except the lateral ones of the lower jaw : canines small. Colours — of a brownish yellow, or greenish 

 becoming lighter beneath : the body covered with small white spots, specks or marks, which sometimes have a 

 dark border, or they may be entirely absent in adults. 



McClelland remarks that 8. literata has D. 334, A. 182 ; 8. punctata D. 392, A. 190 ; whilst 8. maculata 

 is a copy of Ham. Buch. figure of Murcenophis tile, and is probably the young of 8 punctata. 



Habitat. — Bourbon, seas and estuaries of Bengal to the Malay Archipelago. It ascends tidal rivers and 

 is common in the Hooghly at Calcutta, where it attains about 2 feet in length. The example figured was from 

 Calcutta. 



3. MursBna sathete. 

 Murcenophis sathete. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 17, 363. 

 Lycodontis longicaudata, McClelland, Cal. J. N. H. v, 187, pi. viii, f. 2. 

 Strophidon longicaudata, McClelland, 1. c. p. 215. 



Murcena sathete, Richards. Erebus and Terror, Pish. p. 91 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 78 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 331 • 

 Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 126. 



Thyrsoidea sathete, Kaup, Apod. p. 86. 



Length of head 4j to 5 in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail rather longer 

 (considerably says McClelland) than the trunk. Eyes — small, 2\ to 2\ diameters from the end of the snout, 

 2 apart, and midway between the angle of the mouth and the end of the snout. Length of the cleft of the 



* Misprinted Lycodontis, see errata in C. J. N, H. v, p. 202. 



