1874.] 



347 



[Putnam. 



The perfect development of the bones of the head, the distinct 

 rays of the dorsal and anal fins, and the ossification of the caudal 

 vertebras, all give it the appearance of a perfect form, and its char- 

 acters, so far as they can be traced without a dissection, which would 

 destroy the specimen, shows the fish to belong to the family of 

 Ophidiidse, as defined by Giinther. 



The structure of the head, gill 

 opening, position of the teeth on the 

 jaws and on the vomer, and the po- 

 sition of the dorsal and anal fins, are 

 similar to Fierasfer, but the body is 

 not compressed as in that genus, be- 

 ing, on the contrary, nearly cylin- 

 drical, though the head is compressed 

 and shaped much like Fierasfer. 



The genus Encheliophis was pro- 

 posed by Miiller for the reception of 

 a fish from the Philippines, which, if 

 it were not from his statement that 

 the pectoral fins were wanting, would 

 be placed in the genus Fierasfer, and 

 as the fish now under consideration 

 has very similar characters, 1 and as I 

 can find no trace of pectoral fins, I 

 have referred it to the genus rather 

 than risk the creation of a generic as 

 well as a specific synonym. 



Encheliophis tenuis sp. nov. 



The outline figures here given rep- 

 resenting the fish of natural size, and 

 also the head enlarged, will serve to 

 call attention to the form, and give 

 the general characters of the fish. 



The total length of the specimen 

 is eight inches. Body naked, nearly 



cylindrical, slightly constricted back of the head, greatly elongated 

 and terminating in a thread-like tail. Gill-openings wide, and as in 



1 "With the exception of the cylindrical body, and it may be that the strong spir- 

 its in which it has been preserved has much to do with its present shape. 



