MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OP NEW-YORK. 361 



white dots. Belly and neck a dirty white. The fairest parts are be- 

 hind the pectoral fins. Upper jaw longer than the lower. Lips skinny 

 and thick. Each jaw furnished with a thickset row of minute 

 teeth, presenting a serrated or ragged edge, inclined toward the throat. 

 Teeth gathered into a patch at the forepart of the palate. Tongue 

 broad and smooth. Throat wide and capacious. Eyes large and bright. 

 In addition to the nostrils there are four orifices near the extremity of 

 the snout. The anal, caudal, and dorsal fins are united, and jointly 

 contained five hundred and thirty-nine rays. For the purpose of 

 numbering them exactly, the skin was taken off. 

 Rays, B. 9. P. 17. D. C. & A. 539. 



MCR/ENa. 



Generic character. 



Body eel-shaped. Pectoral fins none. Spiracle on each side of the 

 neck. 



Sea snake. (Murazna meleagris.) A specimen with small mouth, rows 

 of sharp teeth, spotted body, and dorsal fin continued round the tail 

 to the anal, in Scudder's Museum. Length two feet and more than a 

 half. 



OPHIDItTM. 



Character. 



Head somewhat naked. Teeth in the jaws, palate, and throat. 

 Branchiastegous membrane seven rayed, patulous. Body ensiform. 



1. Spinous ophidium. (Ophidium mucronatum.) With a minute 

 spine on the sternum, and another opposite to it in front of the dorsal fin. 



Length seven inches; depth one. Has a peculiar odour when first 



48 



