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MURAENIDiE. 
“ Body elongate, eylindrical or band shaped, 
naked or with rudimentary scales. Vent situated at 
a great distance from the bead. Ventral fin none. 
Vertical fins, if present, confluent, or sepai’ated by 
the projecting tip of the tail. Sides of the upper 
jaw formed by the tooth-bearing maxillaries, the 
fore part by the intermaxillary, which is more or less 
coalescent with the vomer and ethmoid. Humeral 
arch not attached to the skull. Stomach with a 
blind sac ; no pyloric appendages. Organs of 
reproduction without efferent ducts. 
“ Inhabitants of the fresh waters and seas of the 
temperate and tropical regions.” 
ANaUILLA. 
Eels, which constitute this genus, seem to be generally found 
in the fresh waters of almost all climates ; but more particularly 
in those of the temperate countries. 
The first notice of an eel in the New Zealand-rivers was due to 
J. E. Gray, in the appendice to Dielfenbach’s trayels to that 
island. 
Dr. Eichardson described, in 1848, under the name of 
Australis, another sort from Tasmania, which is said also to be 
found in New Zealand. In the fishes of the Erelus and Terror, 
he describes two other sorts, one Auclclancli, from the Auckland 
Islands; and another, Labrosa, of which he did not know the, 
precise locality. This latter is of a remarkable form, having its 
dorsal fin commencing rather nearer to the gill-opening than to 
the anus, and may very well be an inhabitant of the sea. 
The others are all from fresh waters. They may be dis- 
tinguised thus ; — 
