191 



MURAENnm 



"Body elongate, cylindrical or band shaped, 

 naked or with rudimentary scales. Vent situated at 

 a great distance from the head. Ventral fin none. 

 Vertical fins, if present, confluent, or separated by 

 the projecting tip of the tail. Sides of the upper 

 jaw formed by the tooth-bearing maxillaries, the 

 fore part by the intermaxillary, which is more or less 

 coalescent with the vomer and ethmoid. Humeral 

 arch not attached to the skull. Stomach with a 

 blind sac ; no pyloric appendages. Organs of 

 reproduction without efferent ducts. 



" Inhabitants of the fresh waters and seas of the 

 temperate and tropical regions." 



ANGUILLA. 



Eels, winch constitute this genus, seem to be generally found 

 in the fresh waters of almost all climates ; but more particularly 

 in those of the temperate countries. 



The first notice of an eel in the New Zealand rivers was due to 

 J. E. Gray, in the appendice to Dieffenbach's travels to that 

 island. 



Dr. Richardson described, in 1848, under the name of 

 Australis, another sort from Tasmania, which is said also to be 

 found in New Zealand. In the fishes of the Erebus and Terror, 

 he describes two other sorts, one Aucklandi, from the Auckland 

 Islands ; and another, Labrosa, of which he did not know the 

 precise locality. This latter is of a remarkable form, having its 

 dorsal fin commencing rather nearer to the gill-opening than to 

 the anus, and may very well be an inhabitant of the sea. 

 The others are all from fresh waters. They may be dis- 

 tinguised thus ; — 



