1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1325 



by their semilransparency. Single individuals occur on the coasts of 

 Pinang at all seasons. 



The constant characters occur in Monopterus Icevis, Richardson, 

 and in M. cinereus, Richardson ; of the inconstant characters some 

 are applicable to either. — Ophiocardia phayriana, McClelland, is de- 

 scribed as having two short tubular nostrils at the extremity of the 

 muzzle, and five branchiostegous rays. Both characters are erroneous, 

 and the fish nowise differs from M. javanicus. — Monopterus grammicus, 

 (Cantor,)* observed at Chusan and in Japan, presents the following 

 differences. The head is contained about 10^ times in the total length, 

 the tail from A\ to 5, and in a Japanese specimen it was about 7 times 

 in the total. The head is consequently proportionally longer, and the 

 tail shorter than in M. javanicus. The living individuals examined in 

 1840 at Chusan had the head, back and sides above the lateral line of a 

 reddish yellow ground-colour ; the rest of a dark buff ; the whole body 

 covered with numerous black irregular lines, like inscriptions, leaving but 

 little of the yellow and buff to view. In other external, and in anatomical 

 characters they agreed with M. javanicus, and it remains to be ascertained 

 if the above mentioned differences are constant, specific, or merely in- 

 dividual. The original of M. xanthognathus, Richardsonf is either 

 M. javanicus, or M. grammicus, if the latter is a distinct species. 



In Monopterus javanicus the heart is situated at a distance behind 

 the gill-openings of about 1^ times the length of the head. The diges- 

 tive canal is about § of the total length. The oesophagus and stomach 

 form a long canal, which gradually widens towards the pylorus, 

 and is about ^ of the digestive canal ; on the internal surface appear 

 some longitudinal rugae, which terminate at a short distance from the 

 pylorus. The origin of the duodenum is internally marked by a very 

 distinct valve, and externally by a considerable constriction. The 



* Syn. Symbranchus grammicus, Cantor : Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. IX. 

 30. — Monopterus marmoratus, Temminck et Schlegel : Fauna Japon. — Monop- 

 terus marmoratus, Richardson: Report, 1845,315. This eel is numerous at 

 Chusan in streamlets, canals and estuaries. As it is a favourite article of food, 

 it is kept by the inhabitants of Chusan in large jars with fresh water. But it is 

 capable of living a considerable time out of water. It is of voracious habits, 

 feeding on smaller fishes, and it takes hooks baited with earth-worms. 



t Voyage of H. M. S. Sulphur, Ichthyology : 118, PI. 52, Fig. 7. 



