seba’s figures. 
379 
text says ; — ‘‘ This was sent to us from St. Domingo 
with other animals. It is a beast truly extraordinary. 
It has a muzzle hard as horn, pointed like a bird’s 
beak, with two fins under the lower jaw, that serve 
for swimming. The head is covered ivith great 
scales; all the upper part of the body is pale yellow, 
marked with oval reddish-yellow spots, like a tiger. 
The fins are coral-red, as those of a Perch. The 
ventral scales are yellowish grey, of irregular size, 
and set without order. This Eel is in almost every 
thing like a Serpent, and perhaps is a species of that 
tribe.” 
Of the second species, the author observes that it is 
Like the former in all respects, except the colour- 
ing, which exhibits, instead of spots, a series of five 
sea-green bands, extending along the reddish scales 
of the back. The fins are coral-red as before. The 
eyes are minute, and placed near the anterior part of 
the muzzle. The scales of the belly are large, and 
placed symmetrically, as in serpents.’’^ 
It is evident from the expressions of wonder used 
by Seba, one of which I have quoted, that these 
were no ordinary forms. He is dubious, it is true, 
whether to assign them to the Eels or to the Serpents ; 
and he calls them “ marine,” but whether on any other 
evidence than the fin-like appendages of the cheeks, 
does not appear. He calls these appendages “ fins,” 
and compares them (when speaking of their colour) to 
those of a Perch. The round pointed head suggests 
a Murana, but Murcena possesses no pectoral fins, 
while in these fishes a long dorsal and anal meet 
around the extremity of the body ; and the posterior 
parts are vertically flattened. The scales, too, in 
