410 Description of a collection of Fishes from China. 



short conical teeth, the inner row is composed of much 

 larger teeth, which are also compressed and hooked. 



The upper jaw presents three rows of minute teeth on 

 either side, together with a single row of large tricuspid 

 teeth on the vomer, which are compressed, and present sharp 

 cutting edges before and behind, with a high sharp lanceo- 

 late point in the middle, and two small low points, one before 

 and one behind on each tooth. See fig. 1 . a. 



The distance from the snout to the hinder part of the 

 iris, is equal to a third of the distance from the snout to the 

 branchial aperture, and to one-fourth of the interval be- 

 tween the base of the pectorals and the vent. The distance 

 from the snout to the commencement of the dorsal fin, is 

 equal nearly to one-seventh of the entire length. The 

 dorsal commences immediately over the branchial apertures, 

 and contains above 230 rays ; the anal contains about 200, 

 The pectoral fins contain about 16 or 1/ rays each, and the 

 branchial membrane on either side about 21 long and slen- 

 der rays. The head is slightly compressed, the middle of 

 the body is cylindrical, and the tail is compressed, and ter- 

 minates in a very thin ensiform point. 



The other species of this genus above indicated, necessa- 

 rily belong to a paper on the apodal fishes of Bengal, which 

 will, I hope, appear in the next number of this Journal. 



Family Synhranchidcs^ Swainson. 

 Pneumabranchus.* Nov. Gen. 

 Gen. Char. — The head is broad, the jaws of equal length, 

 a single row of strong conical hooked teeth on the lower jaw, 

 another on the palate, together with a row of fine teeth of 

 the same kind on the intermaxillary, terminating in front in a 

 crescent. The body is covered with minute scales, and has 

 no fins except a mere compression of the tail, which resem- 

 bles the point of a two-edged sword. 



* Etym. from Tlvsv/xa, breathing, and Bpay^^ta, the gills of a Fish. 



