CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY - IV. 



3. B. stoilti* 



Kl.'ven -ill openings on each side : ten teeth in the anterior and nine 

 iu tin- posterior series. Fifteen indies long.' 7 (Locldngton.) Coast of 

 California ; not rare. 



(Lockiugtoii, Ainer. Nat. l>ec. 1-7S, 7'M.) 



OKDEK C'.-HYPEROARTIA. 



(The Lampreys.} 



Nasal duct a blind sac, not penetrating the palate. This order is 

 equivalent to the single family PetromyzontidcB. (>'>-zr>at., palate; d/nto?, 

 complete; i. c., entire.) (PetromyzontidcB Giiuther, 409-509.) 



FAMILY III. PETROMYZONTID.E. 



(The Lampreys.) 



Body eel-shaped, naked, subcylindrical anteriorly, compressed be- 

 hind ; mouth nearly circular, suctorial, armed with horny teeth, which 

 are simple or multicuspid, resting on papilla-; those immediately above 

 and those immediately below the opening of the oesophagus more or 

 less specialized ; eyes present; branchial openings seven, arranged in 

 a linear series along the sides of the " chest"; nostril on the top of the 

 head; lips present, usually fringed; dorsal fin more or less deeply di- 

 vided by a notch; the posterior part commonly continuous with the anal 

 around the tail; intestines with a spiral valve; eggs small. 



These animals undergo a metamorphosis ; the young are usually 

 toothless and have the eyes rudimentary. Such forms have, until lately, 

 been considered as forming separate genera, which have been termed 

 An;ni<ic(i l<-s, Xroh't-oNomtt, Chiloptcrux, etc. 



(ienera ."> or ii; species i.i or L'O; found in all waters in temperate 



re-ions. They attach themselves to fishes and feed by scraping oil' the 

 ll( Ji with their rasp-like teeth. Among our species, four groups, ap- 

 parently of generic value, may be recogni/.ed, but the characters in 



may In- iilciiliciil \\ith 7.'. jmli/tn imi f!rd. from Chili, inrorn-ctly ilc- 

 MTiin-.i in I'M..-. AC-. N.-ii. Sri. iiiihi. ts.'i, r.':, and thus characterized by Putnam, 

 Proc. r." i. Boo. N.-it. iiivi. 1-7:;, n;o : 



1 1 1 :nl ,-i In i nt inn- ili in I of Int.-il It-ii^tli, ;i IK! cunt aiiicd itliont H times in the len.^tli of 



tin- iilnloineli. Tiiil emil:iilieil 7 1<> ~ limes ill tutu] length. I'mm f tiinrlHr htin-rn the 



'',i or liiihtli /mil- nf ijillx. (illlx tin on aidi aide. Length from 13 to UxJ iucbes. 

 ( ..;i>l of Cllili.'' 



