DRUMMOND’S ECHIODON. 
231 
herents k la pointe de l’os hyoide,” and the latter “ manquent de bar- 
billons, et leur dorsale est si mince, qu’elle ne semble qu’un leger repli 
de la peau.” 
In external characters — for the specimen being, so far as known to me, 
unique, I have been unwilling to injure its appearance by dissection — it 
is excluded from the Ophidia proper, in consequence of not having the 
barbules ; and though agreeing with the Fierasfers in the negative cha- 
racter of wanting these appendages, yet, by having the dorsal fin strongly 
developed and elevated, it ranges not with them. 
Its want of the very obvious character of the Ophidia renders all 
comparison with them unnecessary ; but of two species belonging to the 
Fierasfers, and which approach the present specimen most nearly, I may 
state, that it possesses many of the characters of the Opli. fierasfer of 
Risso, but differs from that species in the teeth (both jaws are described 
as armed with three rows of sharp and hooked teeth), number of fin-rays, 
and some minor characters ; besides, there is nothing said of the remark- 
able teeth terminating both jaws, as exhibited in my specimen. In the 
Regne Animal we again find an Oph. dentatum described as having in 
each jaw “ deux dents en crochets,” but no further details are given. In 
this only character, however, the Oph. dentatum differs from my fish, 
which has four large hooked teeth in the upper, and two in the under, jaw. 
The specimen under consideration was found dead on the beach at 
Carnlough near Glenarm, in the County of Antrim, by my friend Dr. J. 
L. Drummond, when collecting Algce there in the month of June, 1836, 
and, along with some other fishes , &c., obtained about the same time, was 
kindly handed over to me on his return to Belfast. Dr. Drummond in- 
forms me, that from its appearance when found it had most probably 
been cast ashore by the tide of the preceding night, when a strong easter- 
ly wind prevailed. 
Genus Echiodon. 
Corpus valde elongatum, complanatum et lanceolatum. 
Caput ovale ; rostrum mediocriter productum ; os sub-oblique fissum ; 
maxillce dentibus armatae sicut ossa palatina vomerque ; dentes duo 
utrinque apud maxillae superioris apicem magni et praelongi ; maxilla 
inferior utrinque dente unico cylindraceo terminata; apertura bran- 
chial is magna ; operculum satis amplum. 
Pinnce dorsales et anales valdfe productae. 
Anus anteriora versus positus. 
Echiodon Drummondii. 
Tab. XXXVIII. 
Fch. corpus Iceve ; maxillce ambee, vomer , ossaque palatina dentibus parvis 
obtusiusculis dense ar mates ; maxilla superior longior, [cujus dentes ex- 
terni ore clauso conspicui; vomer admodum prominens antrorsumque 
valde productus ; lingua brevissima ; pinnce dorsales analesque cum cau- 
dali continuce, et postice corpore multo altiores ; pinna analis ante dor- 
salem exoriens ; radii pinnales nulli ramosi ; membrana branchiostega 
septem radiata. 
Total length 11 inches; greatest depth (at 1 inch 4 lines from the 
snout) 6 lines, thence posteriorly gradually narrowing ; greatest breadth 
of body anteriorly 3 lines ; at the middle of the entire length 1 line, and 
thence to the tail becoming gradually more compressed. 
