S02 



total length:, but in some the abdomen is rather inflated ; the snout 

 is long, slender, and nearly equal in all its length, except at its 

 extremity, where it is strongly turned upwards ; from the end of 

 the snout to the anterior edge of the eye, the distance is equal 

 to that between the posterior edge of that organ and the end of 

 the third segment of the body ; the head is contained a little 

 over six times in the total length, and the snout about ten times 

 in the same ; it is one and one-third longer than the remainder of 

 the head, and has some longitudinal ridges on its upper part. 

 Seen from the upper surface, the posterior edges of the snout 

 form on each side a point over the anterior edge of the eye, 

 which is deeply sunken ; the mouth is directed upwards ; the 

 operculum has a longitudinal ridge running rather obliquely ; 

 dorsal very long ; no caudal ; the pectorals are very short ; I 

 cannot distinguish any anal, and I find at its place the long cuta- 

 neous egg pouch in the males, and nothing in the others ; but as 

 all authors say they have one, it is likely that it exists, 

 though I could not discern it. The anal is below the 

 eighteenth segment of the body. I only find forty-two or 

 forty-three body-rings, but those of the posterior part of 

 the tail are so exceedingly minute as to leave some doubt in 

 this respect ; the body is depressed below, which gives 

 its section a triangular appearance; the body-ridges extend, on a 

 straight line, to the extremity of the tail ; the shields are finely 

 punctured, and perpendicularly striated ; the tail terminates 

 generally in a fine point, but in some specimens it is rather 

 blunt ; the operculum presents no ridge. 



Colour of a light green ; the snout generally bears faint traces 

 of transverse bands rather darker than the ground colour ; the 

 whole body is covered with very minute red dots ; the edge of the 

 rings are rather dark ; in some specimens the longitudinal ridges 

 are of an orange red colour ; eyes green, strewed with black. 



I have seen numerous specimens, caught in February with 

 shrimps ; their length varies from two to near four inches. 



ISTota. — Though this description does not in all points 

 correspond to Nigra, I believe that my specimens belong to 

 that sort. 



