92 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Tseniophis ICaup, Neue Aalahnliche Pische des Hamburger Museums Naehtrag 1, 1859, in Abliand. Naturwissenschaft, IV, 
1858-1866 (weslpliali=fimebris). 
Priodonophis Kaup, 1. e., 22, 1859 ( ocellatus ). 
Neomursena Girard, U. S. Mex, Bound. Surv., Fish., 76, 1859 ( nigromarginata=oceUatus ). 
Pseudomurse.n a Johnson, Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1S62, 167 ( maderensis ). 
a. Vomer with teeth. 
b. Vomerine teeth sharp and pointed. 
c. Teeth in more than 1 series in one or both jaws. 
d. Teeth biserial in each jaw. 
e. Jaws not completely closing, the teeth not concealed by the lips. 
/. Jaws about equal : eurostus , p. 92 
ee. Jaws completely closing, the teeth concealed by the lips. 
g. Eye comparatively small, 2.67 in snout laysanus, p. 93 
gg. Eye larger, 1.67 in snout me.leagr-is, p, SI 
dd. Teeth in unequal number of series in upper and lower jaw. 
h. Vomer with large depressible fangs in front. 
i. Vomer without teeth excepting the fangs; teeth biserial in upper jaw and uniserial in lower. 
graeilicauda, p. 94 
ii. Vomer with a series of about 6 smaller teeth on shaft besides the fangs in front; teeth biserial 
anteriorly and triserial posteriorly in upper jaw; biserial anteriorly and uniserial poste- 
riorly in lower ercodes, p. 95 
hh. Vomer without large fangs. 
j. Teeth of lower jaw uniserial; vomer with a single median series of small teeth .leucostictus, p. 96 
jj. Teeth of lower jaw biserial; vomer with 3 short sharp teeth waialuse, p. 97 
cc. Teeth uniserial in each jaw. 
k. Vomerine teeth not large and fang-like. 
1. Vomer with a row of small sharp teeth; jaws equal mucifer, p. 97 
//. Vomer with only 5 small teeth; lower jaw somewhat projecting berndti, p. 98 
kk. Vomerine teeth large and fang-like, depressible. 
97i. Vomer with numerous teeth. 
n. Vomerine teeth not forming a fork in front .undulatus, p. 98 
mi. Vomerine teeth forming a fork in front flariinnrginatus, p. 99 
mm. Vomer with but few large fang-like depressible teeth. 
o. Vomer with but 1 fang goldsborougld , p. 100 
go. Vomer with but 2 or 3 fangs petelli, p. 100 
bb. Vomerine teeth short and blunt, or rounded. 
p. Anterior nostril in a long tube, about 2 in eye. 
q. Tail pointed, moderately slender; mouth not completely closing steindaclmeri, p. 101 
qcj. Tail blunt; mouth completely closing. 
r. Eye large, 1.16 in snout - hilonis, p. 102 
rr. Eye small, 2.5 in snout niMingi, p. 103 
pp. Anteror nostril in short tube, more than 2 in eye pictus, p. 103 
aa. Vomer toothless xanthostomus, p. 104 
46. Gymno thorax eurostus (Abbott). 
Head large, depressed; the facial outline very slightly oblique; eye large, circular, slightly behind 
extremity of snout, and 1.5 diameters distant; jaws of equal length, rather slender, the lower with a 
slight upward curve at its extremity making the large mandibular teeth partially visible when mouth 
is closed; nasal teeth 10, biserial, the inner row twice as large as the outer, conical, acute, and with a 
decided inward inclination; palatine teeth, 28 in the outer row, 9 in the inner, the former short, very 
much compressed, acute and with an inward inclination; the inner series widely set, of various 
lengths, and more than twice as large as those of outer row, a gape in the series beginning posteriorly 
opposite posterior margin of orbit and ceasing opposite anterior edge of orbit; vomerine teeth 12, 9 of 
which are in a direct line, the remaining 3 concurrent with the central 3 of the series; lower jaw armed 
with a complement of 24 compressed, acute teeth having a decidedly inward inclination, the posterior 
12 of these closely set in an unbroken series, and the anterior 12 arranged in pairs, except, at the 
extremity of the jaw where they form 2 square patches of 4 teeth; fold of skin enveloping dorsal fin 
very thick, and arising behind occiput nearly perpendicularly; fin of uniform height for two-thirds its 
length, thence slowly decreasing to its termination. 
Color in alcohol, head and body uniform reddish brown, nearly black upon the under surface of 
tail; body everywhere minutely spotted and reticulated with pale yellowish. (Abbott.) 
This species is known only from Abbott’s type (No. 984, Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila.) , a specimen collected 
