50. UMBRID.E. 349 



vertebrate animals known, found in the fresh waters of the warmer 

 parts of America. (Dedicated to Charles Girard.) 



569. O. formosus Grd. 



Body short. Snout 'very short. Anal smaller than dorsal. Brown- 

 ish olive, with a black streak from the snout along the middle cl the 

 side, crossed by 6 or 8 brownish-black vertical streaks ; a black spot at 

 bases of caudal, dorsal, and anal. Head 3 ; depth 3f . D. 7 ; A. 9 ; 

 Lat. 1. 28. L. 1 inch. South Carolina to Florida ; said to be the small- 

 est known fish. 



(Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1859, 62; Giiufclier, vi, 354.) 



570. G. occidentals (B. & G.) Grd. 



Brownish above, with a black lateral stripe ; a black line along lower 

 margin of tail. Fins unicolor. Head 3f ; depth 3f . D. 7 ; A. 7. Gila 

 Basin. (Girard.) 



(Kcterandrla occidentals B. & G. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1853, 390; Girard, U. 

 S. Mex. Bound. Ickth. 73 ; Giinther, vi, 354 : G-irardinus sonoricnsis Girard, Proc. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci. Phila. 1859, 120 : Girardinus sonoriensis Giiuther, vi, 355. ) 



FAMILY L. UMBPJD^E. 



(The Mud Minnows.) 



Body oblong; broad anteriorly; compressed behind. Head large, 

 flattened above. Mouth moderate, the maxillary without distinct sup- 

 plemental bone. Bands of villiform or cardiform teeth on premaxil- 

 laries, lower jaw, vomer, and palatines ; premaxillaries not protractile. 

 Lateral margin of upper jaw formed by the broad, short maxillaries, 

 which are toothless; lower jaw the longer. Gill-openings wide; the 

 membranes scarcely connected; gill-rakers little developed; branchios- 

 tegals G-8. Scales moderate, cycloid, covering head and body ; lateral 

 line obscure or wanting. Dorsal fin moderate, posterior, in advance of 

 anal ; ventrals small, close to anal ; pectorals inserted low ; caudal fin 

 rounded. Stomach without blind sac; no pyloric cceca ; pseudobranchise 

 hidden, glandular ; air-bladder simple ; oviparous ; sexes similar. Car- 

 nivorous fishes living in mud or among weeds at the bottom of clear 

 sluggish streams and ponds, extremely tenacious of life, like the Cypri- 

 nodontidce. Genera 2 ; species 3, Umbra crameri of Austria, and the 

 following. The family is very close to the Esocidcc, differing mainly in 

 the smaller mouth and weaker teeth. 



(Unibridce Giinther, vi, 231, 232.) 



