A sp e c im en o f th is fish, p r e s e n te d b y M r . L a y to th e M u s e um o f th e R o y a l Co lleg e o f S u rg e o n s ,
is th e only In d is id u a l o f llie sp e c ie s w h ich w e h av e s e en . F rom i t w a s ta k e n , w ith th e p e rm is s io n o f
th e B o a rd o f C u ra to rs , th e a c c om p a n y in g fig u re .
T h e Ophis. sm ic in o tu , is n e a rly re la te d , both b y th e ev a n e s c e n c e o f its p e c to ra l fins a n d b y its
m a rk in g s , to th e Ophis, coluhrinus, ( Mwceiia colubrina, B o d d ., M u r . annulala, T h u n b .) I t differs
chiefly in th e n um b e r a n d in c om p le te n e s s o f i ts f a s c ia - lik e p a tc h e s o f d a rk -b row n , w h ic h d o n o t s u r ro
u n d th e b o d y , b u t a re in te r ru p te d on th e u n d e r s u rfa c e ; le a v in g th e wh o le o f th e b e lly o f th e same
p a le c o lo u r a s t h a t which in te rv e n e s b e tw e e n tho d a rk m a rk in g s on th e b a c k a n d s id e s . I n th e sp e c im
en p re s e rv e d in s p ir it, th is p a le r c o lo u r is a lig h t b row n . T h e n um b e r o f b row n /a jc im , a ll o f w h ich
form rin g s in th e M u r . colubrina, is in th a t sp e c ie s th ir ty -o n e ; in o u r s , in which th e r in g s a r e in c om p
le te , th e y a r e on ly tw e n ty -o n e ; w ith o u t in c lu d in g th r e e w h ich c ro s s th e u p p e r p a r t o f th e h e a d , o ne
a t th è occiput, a n o th e r im m e d ia te ly b eh iiid , a n d th e th ird im m e d ia te ly b e fo re , th e eyes.
T h e la te r a l lin e is s tro n g ly m a rk e d .
A ll th e A n s a re e x c e e d in g ly in d is tin c t. T h e d o rs a l a n d a n a l a p p e a r m e re ly lik e s lig h t lo ld s o f
.skin a n d a re lo d g e d , e x c e p t n e a r th e i r c a u d a l e x tr em ity , in gro o v e s o f g r e a t c om p a r a tiv e d e p th ,
beyo’nd th e ed g e s o f w h ich th e y do n o t se em c a p a b le o f b e in g e x te n d e d . T h e fo rm e r c om m en c e s o v e r
th e m in u te p e c to ra ls , a n d is c o n tin u e d to w ith in th r e e - e ig h th s o f an in c h o f th e tip o f th e ta il, fo rm in g
tow a rd s its h in d e r p a r t a s lig h t p ro je c tin g r id g e , a n d a d d in g , with th e c o rre sp o n d in g fo rm o f th e a n a l,
to th e fla tten ed a p p e a r a n c e o f th e ta il. T h e a n a l com m en c e s im m e d ia te ly b e h in d th e vent, a t ab o u t
h a l f th e len g th o f th e b o d y : i t te rm in a te s opposite to tb e te rm in a tio n o f th e d o rs a l.
T h e h r è n c h ia l ray s a r e a b o u t tw en ty -fiv e . T h e to ta l le n g th is fo u rte e n in c h e s ; tlic c iro um -
ferenoo a t th e th ic k e s t p a r t a b o u t th r e e -q u a r te r s o f a n in c h .
I t m a y b e r em a rk e d th a t th e M urm n o p h is colu lrin u , L a c é p ., c a n s c a rc e ly b e id e n tic a l with th e
M u rm a colubrina, B o d d ., th e n um b e r o f th e d a rk rin g s in th e fo rm e r b e in g o n ly f ifte e n ; in f a c t, if
L a c é p è d e ’s figure c a n b e re lie d o n , liis sp e c ie s is n o t ev e n a n Ophisurus.
nagnâ ptirpureà ad orlum p in n a dorsalis.
O p h i d i u m S t i g m a .
Oph. (imberbe?) pallidè brunneum, fa sc iis maculisque plurimis ; maculâ n
P LA T E XX. F IG . 1.
Hab. iu Ko tzetue Sound.
T h i s n ew spe c ie s o f Ophidium is brie fly n o tic e d bo th b y M r, Collie a n d hy M r. L a y , h u t th e o n ly
sp e c im en w h ich o c c u rre d w a s n o t p re s e rv ed . O f th e g e n u s to w h ic h i t sh o u ld be r e f e r r e d n o d o u b t
c a n b e e n te r ta in e d : i t h a d “ n o tr a c e o f v e n tr a l fins i t s “ dorsa l, c a u d a l, a n d a n a l fins w e re u n ite d
in to a tra n s p a r e n t rid g e a n d a lth o u g h M r. L a y a d d s th a t th e “ operculum w a s w a n tin g o r o b so le te ,
o r r a tb e r id e n tic a l w ith th e b r a n c h io s te g o u s m em b ra n e ,” M r. Coilie s ta te s tb a t th e “ r a y s o f th e
bran c liia l c o v e rin g w e re d is tin c t.” I t s “ s c a le s w'ere ve ry sm a ll.”
I t is d e s c rib e d a s “ d ilu te b row n , w ith vo id sw a th e s a n d sp o ts,” , “ a n d a p u rp lis h sp o t n e a r th e
b e g in n in g o f th e d o rs a l f in : ” its “ sn o u t o b tu s e : c h in w ith a la rg e gib b o sity : te e th sm a ll.”— L.
I t s le n g th w a s “ a b o u t five in ch e s .”
T h e a c com p an y in g figure is e n g r a v e d from a s lig h t sk e tc h p re s e rv e d by M r. L a y . I t is
a p p a r e n tly o f th e n a tu r a l s iz e . . .c ,
H a d th e triv ia l n am e o f ocellatum, ap p lied to i t d o u b tin g ly b y th e n a tu r a lis ts o f th e v o yage , n o t
b e e n p re o c c u p ie d , i t w o u ld h av e b e e n ve ry a p p ro p ria te . T h e Oph. ocellatum, d e s c rib e d a n d fig u red
by T ile s iu s , from th e s e a o f K am ts c h a tk a , c e r ta in ly b e a rs , a s M. C u v ie r h a s rem a rk e d , a n e a r r e la tio n
to th e CesUronoti, S c h n . ; it ap p ro a c h e s , in d e e d , close ly to th e Cent. Gunnellus, S c h n . T h a t S c h n e id e r
possessed some info rm a tio n a s to su ch a fish m a y fa irly, I th in k , be p re sum e d from h is c h a r a c te r o f
th e Oph. Chineuse (B lo ch ii Syst. I c h th ., p . 4 8 6 ), w h e re h e h a s e v id e n tly co n fo u n d ed tw o sp e c ie s : o n e
th e Oph. imberbe, L in n ., a n in h a b ita n t o f th e E u ro p e a n p o rtio n o f th e N o r th e rn A tla n tic ; th e ö f te r ,
“ oc e llis n ig ris irid ib u s a lb is p iim æ d o r s i,” (from th e n am e p r e f ix e d , p ro b a b ly o b ta in e d from C h in a ,)
wh ich may ve ry possibly be th e Oph. ocellatxim o f T ile siu s.
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