6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



Anableps microlepis Troschel, Archiv. fur Naturgeschichte for 1845, vol. ii. p. 



200 (abstract.) 

 Aaableps coarctatus Val. Hist. Nat. des Poissons, vol. xviii. p. 266, pi. 540, 



1846. 

 Aaableps microlepis Mull, and Troschel in Schomburgh's Reisen in British 



Guiana, vol. iii. p. 632. 



Corpus magnitudine fere ut in Anableps tetrophthalmus. 



Anableps elongatus Val. 

 Synonymy. 



Anableps elongatus Val. Hist. Nat. des Poissons, vol. xviii. p. 267, pi. 541, 



1846. 

 Corpus gracilius. 



Gin the classification of the EVENTOGNATHI or CYPRINI, a suborder of 



TELEOCEPHALI. 



BY THEODORE GILL. 



In studying the species of Cyprinoids obtained by Captain J. H. Simpson in 

 his expedition across the continent in 1858-1859, we were led to investigate 

 the principles of classification adopted for the arrangement of the family of 

 Cyprinoids, as it has been restricted by most recent naturalists. Our studies 

 have led us to the belief that the Cyprinoids do not form a natural family, 

 but rather a suborder, and that the suborder itself may be divided into a num- 

 ber of natural families. 



Suborder Eventognathi Gill. 



This suborder embraces the numerous species known to the inhabitants of 

 the United States as "Shiners," "Dace," "Roach," "Carp," "Suckers," &c, 

 and is represented by species in the fresh water streams and lakes of almost 

 every portion of the globe, with the exception of the continent of South America ; 

 they are there replaced by the herbivorous Characins. 



Notwithstanding the cosmopolitan distribution of the suborder, there are 

 few or no groups of fishes, whose mutual affinities are more unknown, and 

 whose nomenclature and generic distinctions are so uncertain. Genera that 

 are certainly very nearly allied, and even identical with each other, have been 

 placed at almost opposite extremes of the family. Very closely allied species 

 even have been equally far removed from each other, yet there are few groups 

 which have been so much studied by naturalists as this has been. 



The species of Asia have been especially studied by McClelland, Heckel, and 

 by Dr. Bleeker ; those of Europe, by Cuvier, Agassiz, Heckel, Kner, and the 

 Prince of Canino. The American species have been arranged and described by 

 Agassiz, Baird and Girard. All the known species found in every part of the 

 world have been described by Valenciennes, and Bleeker has very recently 

 published a synopsis of the entire suborder, in which all the known genera are 

 described, and arranged in a new systematic order. With the full knowledge of 

 all that has been done by those great zoologists, we have still no hesitation in 

 asserting that much yet remains to be done, and that none of the proposed 

 classifications or groupings of the genera and species are founded in nature. 



The suborder, as understood by us, includes only the true Cyprinoids of 

 Agassiz, without teeth in the jaws, and with large falciform lower pharyngeal 

 bones. It thus excludes the Cyprinodontoids, and all allied groups. Thus re- 

 stricted, :t is an exceedingly natural group, and corresponds to the family of 

 Cyprinoids of most naturalists. But in the suborder, there exist several groups 

 which differ essentially in form or anatomical peculiarities, and which appear 



[Jan- 



