66 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



one from the Big Black at Edwards ; and a few from the Pearl Biver 

 at Jackson. The total length of the largest specimen is 3 inches. It 

 perhaps ascends from the Gulf, although no specimens have yet been 

 received from salt water. 



CYPBINODOXTIDJE. 



26. Zygonectes dispar Ag. — Striped Minnow. 



A female of this species was obtained in the Big Black Biver, near 

 Edwards, and a male in the Pearl at Jackson It has not been known 

 hitherto to occur further south than Southern Illinois. 



27. Zygonectes notatus (Raf.) Jor. — Top Minnow. 



Numerous specimens were obtained at Jackson, in the ponds along 

 the Pearl Biver, and in a branch of the Yalabusha at Grenada. 



28. Gambusia patruelis Baird & Girard. 



Zygonectes melanops Hay, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. iii, 1880, 501. 



A large number of specimens of the above species were found wherever 

 I made collections during the past summer, except at Memphis. I had 

 previously found the same fish at Artesia and Macon in Eastern Missis- 

 sippi, and supposed that it was Professor Cope's Zygonectes melanops. 

 In re-examining my materials from Artesia I found a single male that had 

 been previously overlooked. This male possessed the peculiar intro- 

 mittent anal fin of Gambusia, and therefore furnished a clew to the 

 disposition to be made of the specimens. The males appear, for some 

 reason, to be very rare. Out of twenty-four specimens that I have from 

 Artesia but one is a male. Several specimens of those collected at 

 Macon are yet at hand, but all are females. Of thirty-two specimens 

 collected at Vaughan's all are females. I have one male from Vicks- 

 burg and another from the Big Black at Edwards. All these males are 

 considerably smaller than the average of the females. The description 

 of Professor Cope's species agrees so well with the females of Gambit* ia 

 jtatruelis, it may be a question whether it was not founded on such fe- 

 males.* There is but one character that appears to distinguish the 

 two, and that is the position of the dorsal fin with respect to the anal. 

 In Z. melanops the dorsal is said to have its beginning opposite the 

 middle of fhe anal ; in my specimens of G. patruelis it begins opposite 

 the seventh anal ray. Zygonectes atrilatus, Jordan & Bray ton, is also 

 probably the same fish. 



A large proportion of the females in my collections are greatly dis- 

 tended with the partially-developed young. 



Localities. — Vicksburg, Edwards. Jackson, Vaughan's, Grenada. 



* This conclusion has been independently reached by Messrs. Jordan & Gilbert in 

 the current volume of the Proceedings: cf. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. v, 1882, 257. 



