MAY. 1902. THE ICHTHYOLOGY OF MEXICO MEEK. 103 



lower jaw the longer; snout 4 in head; eye large, 3 in head: inter- 

 orbital slightly convex, its width 2^ in head; dorsal fin slightly in 

 advance of anal, midway between base of caudal and posterior 

 margin of orbit. 



Gill-rakers rather stout, 20 on the first arch. Vertebrae i6-(- 

 18 = 34. Baseof dorsal 2 in head, its height 1 1 in females, slightly 

 higher in the males; length of pectoral i^ in head: ventral 2. 

 Alimentary canal coiled on right side ; its length 3^ times the 

 total length of the body: peritoneum black; teeth bicuspid, 

 loose. 



Females light olivaceous above, much mottled with darker, 

 nearly plain on lower half of body; young with a few faint 

 brownish bars on lower half of caudal peduncle, a narrow dark 

 lateral band and a prominent black bar at base of caudal. The 

 color of the males is a nearly uniform dark olivaceous, the ante- 

 rior half of some specimens being nearly black: the black caudal 

 bar much less conspicuous than on the females: a dark line on 

 underside of caudal peduncle in both sexes: anterior rays of 

 dorsal much shorter than posterior rays. The fourth ray is less 

 than half the ninth: longest dorsal ray i^ in head. The body of the 

 males is very much compressed, as that of the females. This fish 

 bears such resemblance to S. mullipunctata from Ocotlan. from 

 which it differs in having fewer dorsal rays, the anterior portion 

 of the fin shortened, the less prominent caudal bar and the differ- 

 ent coloration. 



Largest specimen, a female, is 2.50 in length. The males are 

 scarcely smaller than the females. 



Viviparous; one female 2.50 inches in length contained 30 

 young with egg not quite all absorbed. . Length of young .34 inch. 

 These fishes were taken May 19 to 21. Their time for spawning 

 evidently about one week later. Celaya: Patzcuaro. 



Skiffia multipunctata (Pelligrin). 



Head 4; depth 2i; D. 16: A. 15: scales 33-12. Body deep, 

 much compressed, snout short, rather pointed, its length 4 in head : 

 mouth small; lower jaw slightly the longer: eye large. 3 in head. 



Dorsal slightly in advance of anal, its origin midway between 

 base of caudal and eye; interorbital slightly convex, its width 2 

 in head. 



Base of dorsal i^ in head: height i : \ in female, slightly higher 

 in the male. The anterior portion of the dorsal fin is not short- 

 ened as in the male of the preceding species. Pectoral i in 



