70 BEARDLESS OPHIDIUM. 



has described the scales, which are oblong, distinct, 

 and disposed without regular order, and the differ- 

 ence between the figures of Rondeletius and Bel- 

 lonius arises from the former having expressed the 

 scales, which are omitted by the latter : yet Ray in 

 his Synopsis follows Gesner in supposing two dis- 

 tinct species. Artedi has not noticed the spots, 

 which, however, have been observed by Klein, who 

 has mistakenly followed Rondeletius, in affirming 

 that the fish has two cirri, while, on the contrary, 

 Willoughby asserts that there are four ; but it is 

 easy to reconcile these descriptions, since though 

 the cirri are only two, yet each being divided, they 

 appear to be four. 



BEARDLESS OPHIDIUM. 



Ophidium Imberbe. 0. maxillis imberbibus, cauda obtusiuscula. 



Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 431. 

 Ophidhim with beardless jaws and rather obtuse tail. 

 Ophidion cirris carens. Artedi gen. 24. Syn. 42. Gronov. 



Zooph. I. p. 131. 



This species seems to be much allied to the for- 

 mer, but is described as altogether destitute of cirri 

 or beards : the body is oblong and slender, gradu- 

 ally decreasing in thickness to the tail, and covered 

 with very small pellucid scales : the head is short, 

 a little flattened, very thick and rounded at the 

 muzzle: the mouth large; the teeth numerous, 

 sharp, and small, as in the former : the upper jaw 

 rather longer than the lower : the gill-covers short, 



