52 
Dr. Harwood on a 
Maxillae elongatae, patulae, dilatabiles, (serpentium instar). 
Lingua vix conspicua. 
Spiracula ante et sub pinnas pectorales, magna. 
Pinnae pectorales, dorsales, analesque radiis mollibus; ven- 
trales nullae. 
Oculi minimi, prope extremitatem maxillae superioris positi. 
Cauda elongata, in filamentum apterum producta. 
As a genus, then, the association of the above characters 
distinguishes this creature from any others which I am aware 
have hitherto been described, although some of them may be 
met with in those genera nearest allied to it, as the muraena, 
ophisurus,gymnothorax, sphagebranchus, synbranchus, gym- 
notus, ophidium, gymnetrus, and trichiurus. In these how¬ 
ever we find the following points of dissimilitude. In muraena 
the fins are adipose; ophisurus has teeth on the ossa palati, 
and gymnothorax has no pinnae pectorales. In sphagebran¬ 
chus the same fins are also absent, or imperfect, and the 
snout lengthened. In synbranchus the spiraculum is single ; 
in gymnotus the dorsal fin is wanting. The genus ophidium 
has open branchiae and large opercula; in gymnetrus the 
anal fin is deficient; and lastly, in addition to other important 
differences, this is supplied in the trichiurus by a dentated 
edge. 
We now proceed to consider the only known species of 
Ophiognathus, which, from a character altogether anomalous 
among apodal fishes, we shall term ampullaceus. 
Its body is one uniform purplish black, except the filamen¬ 
tous extremity of the tail, which is much lighter. The total 
length of the specimen taken is 4 feet 6 inches. The enlarged 
and extremely elastic pharynx communicates with the enor- 
