FAMILY, X—KTJRMNIDM. 673 



Sidera Pfeifferi a,nd pantherina, Kaup, Apod. pp. 70, 71. 

 Gyrrmothorax pantJierinus, Bleeker, Batjan, p. 152. 



Length of head 3f in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail about as long as 

 the trunk. Eyes — small, about 2 diameters from the end of the snout, and situated over about the centre of the 

 cleft of mouth, which latter is about 1/3 of the length of the head: the mouth cannot be completely closed. 

 Anterior nasal tube not quite so long as the vertical diameter of the orbit. Gill-opening about as large as the 

 orbit. Teeth — maxillary and premaxillary teeth in a single row : the vomerine ones posteriorly rounded and 

 generally anteriorly in a bifurcated row : the anterior 2 or 3 vomerine teeth are rather curved, sharp not subulate, 

 and about the same size as those in the premaxillaries. Mandibular teeth in one row, except anteriorly where 

 it is double. Golowrs — there are many different forms of colour, usually of a gray or grayish-yellow groundwork 

 covered with black spots, which are connected together by a network of dark lines causing the fish to appear 

 marbled. 



Habitat. — East coast of Africa, Madagascar, Bourbon, and seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and 

 beyond. 



C. — Teeth generally ohtuse or molwriform. 

 17. Mursena zebra. 



Oymnomurcena zebra, Shaw, Nat. Misc. p. 101 ; Richards. Erebus and Terror, Eish. p. 95 ; Kaup, Apodal 

 Fish. p. 104, t. 14, f. 70. 



Gfymnothorax zebra, Bl. Schn. p. 628. 



Cfymnomurcena doliata, Lacepfede, v, pp. 648, 649, pi. xix, f. 4. 



Mii/rcena molendinaris, Benn. Proo. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 32. 



Murmna zebra, Cuv. Reg. Anim. : Bleeker, Boeroe, p. 80, and Amboina, p. 93 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, 

 p. 128 ; Klunz. Eische Rothen Meer. 1871, p. 620. 



Gymnomurcena fasciata, Kaup, Apodal Eish, p. 103, f. 69. 



Echidna zebra, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 81, t. clxxi, f. 1. 



Length of head 6? to 7| in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail 1/3 of the total 

 length. Byes — small, and rather nearer the end of the snout than to the angle of the mouth. Teeth — consist 

 of bands of obtuse molars. Colours — of a rich dark brown, and ornamented with from 30 to 100 narrow white 

 or yellow rings, which are sometimes incomplete. 



Habitat.— Bed Sea and East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and 

 the Pacific. It attains a large size. 



18. Mursena nebulosa, Plate CLXXII, fig. 2. 



Ahl, De Mur. et Ophichth. p. 5, t. i, f . 2 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 130 ; Klunz. Eische Roth. Meer. 

 1871, p. 618. 



Gymnothorax nebulosus and echidna, Bl. Schn. p. 528. 



Echidna variegata, Eorst. Desc. Anim. ed Licht. p. 181 ; Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 80, t. clxviii, f. 2. 



Murcena ophis, Riipp. Atl. Eische, p. 116, t. 29, f. 2 ; Richard. Erebus and Terror, Eish. p. 93. 



Thcerodontis ophis, McClell. Cal. J. N. H. v, p. 217. 



Mwcena variegata, Richard. 1. c. p. 94, pi. 47, fig. 11-16; Bleeker, Ich. Mol. p. 295, Mur. p. 47; Peters, 

 Wiegm. Arch. 1856, p. 270. 



Pcecilophis vamegata, Kaup, Apod. p. 98, f. 67 ; Kner, Novara Eische, p. 381. 



Length of head 4| to 4f in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail a little shorter 

 than the trunk, ^ues— nearly 2 diameters from end of snout and situated midway between it and cleft of 

 mouth, which last equals about 1/3 of the length of the head. GiU-opening rather smaUer than the eye. 

 Teeth— most of the teeth obtuse or molariform. Fins— vertical ones rather well developed and OTmmencmg a 

 little in front of giU-opening. Colov/rs—hYOwmsh. or olive, darkest along the back. A row of from ZQ to jb 

 black blotches along the upper surface of the head and back extending on to the dorsal fin and nearly as wide 

 as the ground colour, there are some white spots in the centre of each. A similar row of blotches along tHe 

 abdominal surface. Intermediate ground colour of fish covered with small black stars, spots or vermiculated 

 lines. Vertebrae, 65/67. 



This fish is termed Saulinga Pdm. Tel. according to Sir W. Elliot. ,,-,-..■ j t> -c 



Habitat— -Red Sea, Madagascar, Bourbon, Seychelles Archipelago, through the Indian and Pacific 

 Oceans. It is said to attain 6 feet in length. 



19. Mursena polyzona, Plate CLXIX, fig. 3. 



Richards. Voy. Sulphur, Zool. p. 112, pi. Iv, f. 11-14, and Erebus and Terror, Eish. p 95 ; Bleeker, 

 Manado, p. 73 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 151 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 129 ; Klunz. Eisch. Roth. Meer. 



1871, p. 617. 



ilmoena dizona, Bleeker, Timor, p. 260. 



Pcecilophis polyzonus, Kaup, Apod. p. 101 ; Kner, Noyara Eische, p. 382. 



Echidna polyzona, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 81, t. clxviii, f. 3. 



