238 The Hifiory of ANIMAL S... 
diftance above it : the pinna ani is placed over-againft this, and terminates in the fame 
manner, fhort of the extremity of the body, fo that the tail is naked ; it is rounded 2 
and terminates in a fharp point: the pedoral fins are of a pale brownifh-grey; the 
back fin and pinna ani are of a deeper grey, with a tinge of bluifh, and are edged with 
black: the whole fifh has much the appearance of the others of this genus, but for 
the Angularity of the naked tail; which, together with the roundnefs of the body, ob¬ 
tained it the name of the Sea-ferpent. 
It is frequent in the Mediterranean, and is fometimes caught about the coafts of 
France. Ariftotle and others of the old Greek writers call it "0$<r * and 
from them the Latins in general Serpens marinus. Mod of the writers on fifhes have 
figured it, but few of them corredly. 
Murcena teres, gracilis, maculofa, cauda tereti cufpi - 
data apterygia . 
The fender, fpotted Murcena, with a pointed, naked 
tail . 
This is one of the fiendereft, in proportion to it’s length, of all this genus: it 
grows to four feet in length, and is not thicker than a well-fed eel of two and a 
half: the head is fmall; the mouth is large, and the palate, as well as jaws and fauces* 
are all furnifhed with ftrong and fharp teeth, which point inwards: the eyes are fmall, 
the noftrils very confpicuous ; the whole body is rounded, not comprefled : the back 
and fides are of a dufky livid colour, with fome tinge of yellowifh in it, and are fpot¬ 
ted in an irregular manner, with a pale whitifh : the belly is alfo whitifh ; the pedoral 
fins are fmall, and placed juft at the apertures of the gills • the back fin is low and 
long, as is alfo the pinna ani; they are both of them whitifh, as are alfo the pedoral 
ones, and none of them are at all fpotted : the tail is naked, and is not comprefled, but 
rounded, and terminates in a fharp point. 
This is frequent in the Mediterranean, and in fome other feas; I have feen it caught 
on the Suffex coaft. Ray after Lifter calls it Serpens marinus maculofus. 
Murcena pinnis peEloralibus carens . 
The Murcena, with no peSloral fins. 
This is a very lingular fpecies; it has properly only one fin, which is the pinna 
dorfi furrounding the tail, and running up to the anus: it grows to about two feet, 
and to the thicknefs of a well-fed eel of the fame length: the head is fmall 5 
it’s extremity acute, and the opening of the mouth very large ; there are much fewer 
teeth than in the other Muraense, there being only one row in each jaw : the eyes are 
fmall; their iris is yellow, and the pupil round, fmall, and of a bluifh black: the 
back and fides of the fifh are variegated with a deep brown, a blackifh, and a yellow¬ 
ifh tinge, and the belly is whitifh: there are no pedoral fins, but the dorfal one is 
long, and furrounds the tail. 
This fpecies is frequent in the Mediterranean, and in many other feas. Ariftotle, 
/Elian, Oppian, and Athenaeus call it Mvpxivx; and from them the Latin writers in ge¬ 
neral Muraena ; fome, Murena, but this improperly ; Columella calls it Fluta. 
O P H I D I O N. 
|H E body of the Ophidion is long, fubcylindric, and has three fins: the bran- 
I chioftege membrane Contains feven bones; they are oblong, flender, and fome- 
what crooked, and are very difficultly diftinguiffied, unlefs the fiffi have the fkin firft 
taken off. 
Ophidio?i cirris quatuor in maxilla inferiore . 
The Ophidion, with four beards on the lower jaw. 
This grows to the fize of a moderately large eel, but much fmaller ones are 
greatly more frequent : the head is fmall, and the nofe pointed : the opening of the 
mouth is not very large, but the teeth are numerous and ftrong; the upper jaw has a 
few 
3Clje 
