71 



and ending on the upper part in an angular man- 

 ner, with a strong and sharp point lying over the 

 valve : the gill-membrane furnished with seven rays : 

 eyes large ; irides broad and silvery : lateral line 

 near the back : vent situated almost in the middle 

 of the abdomen : scales on the body and gill-covers 

 very small : dorsal, caudal, and anal fins united : 

 dorsal beginning at a little distance beyond the head : 

 tail sharp : vent-fin of equal length with the dorsal ; 

 pectoral fins rather large, and of a lanceolate shape. 

 Native of the Mediterranean. 



Ophidium Mastacembalus. 0. maxillis subacutis cequalibm. 



Ophidium with sharpish- pointed equal jaws. 



Mastacembalus maxillis subacutis aequalibus. Gron. Zooph. I ; 



132, t. 8. a.f. 1. 

 Mastacembalus. Rmsel Alepp. ed. 2. Vol. 2. p. 20S.pl 6, 



The first description of this species seems to have 

 been given by Dr. Alexander Russel, in his Natural 

 History of Aleppo. It has so much the general 

 appearance of an eel, that, according to Dr. Russel, 

 it is considered as such by the Europeans resident 

 at Aleppo, where it is often brought to table, and 

 eats like an eel, though somewhat less fat. Its 

 usual length is from a foot to eighteen inches or 

 more : the head is oblong, subcylindric, narrower 

 than the body, and contracted into a subacuminate 

 snout in front : the eyes are small, situated on each 

 side at no great distance from the tip of the snout : 



