360 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEIUM 



Menidia vagrans laciniata Swain MS iu Jokdan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. 



Nat. Mus. 908, 9G9, 1883, Beaufort, N. C; Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. 



U. S. Nat. Mus. 589, 1883. 

 Menidia laciniata Sm^ain in Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 



969, 1883; Bean, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 146, 1888, Great Egg Harbor 



Bay, N. J.; Jordan & Evermann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 795, 1896; 



Bean. 52d Ann. Kept. N. Y. State Mus. 102, 1900. 

 Eirtlandia ragravs Jordan &. Evermann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 794, 



1896, pi. CXXIV, fig. 336, 1900. 

 Kirtlandia laciniata Jordan & Evermann, op. cit. 795, 1896; Bean, 52d Ann. 



Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 102, 1900. 



Hight of the body contained five and one half to six times in 

 length without caudal, and six and two thirds times in total 

 length, considerably less than length of head and length of pec- 

 toral; origin of siMnous dorsal fin situated behind a point mid- 

 way between origins of ventral and anal fins and opposite the 

 middle of the interspace between anal fin and vent; eye longer 

 than snout, one third as long as the head, and less than width 

 of interorbital space; mouth slightly protractile, lower jaw 

 equal to length of eye; length of head contained four and three 

 fourths times in total length without caudal, and equal to 

 length of pectoral; pectoral reaching only a very little beyond 

 origin of ventral when extended; ventral not reaching to vent, 

 its length one half the length of head; anal base about as long 

 as the head; caudal slightly forked, the lobes equal; vertical 

 fins excessively scaly; scales of body large, laciniate, some of 

 the exposed edges with 12 points. D. IV to V-1, 7; A. I, 18 to 

 19; V. I, 7; P. 14. Scales 7-48 to 50. Lateral silvery stripe 

 covering the lower two thirds of the third series of scales and 

 the upper one third of the fourth series. 



Light greenish above; sides and belly silvery; tip of snout and 

 of lower jaw yellow mingled with blackish; scales on the back 

 with several to many dark spots on the free edges, these usually 

 forming streaks; caudal yellow with dark points, its margin 

 dusky; dorsal and pectorals dusky; lower fins pale, the anal 

 with dark points at its base. 



As here described, the species includes M. laciniata 

 (Swain) which has been recorded from New Jersey and North 

 Carolina. The only difference discoverable between them is in 



