250 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



above, bidden by upper part of opercle : some irregular dark blotches 

 on clieeks and opercles ; opercle with some yellow ; membrane joining 

 maxillary tobead black. Dorsal witb about G narrow dark bars formed by 

 series of dark spots ; caudal yellowish, margined posteriorly with black ; 

 a dark blotch at its base ; pectoral faintly barred with dusky and light 

 yellow; ventrals, anal, and gill membranes sulphur yellow. Tip of 

 snout not black ; jaws mottled with dark ; top of bead with dark cross- 

 line ; axil blackish. 



Head 4 (42) ; depth 8 (9) ; D. I, 10, A. 1, 10. Scales about 4-50-7. 



Body fusiform, somewhat depressed, especially posteriorily. Head 

 bluntish, rather large; snout short, broader at base than long, scarcely 

 longer than eye, 4i in head. Bones of top of bead weakly striate ; region 

 behind eyes with strong radiating ridges; interorbital space deeply 

 concave, its width G in bead, superciliary bone prominent, scale-like, 

 with radiating stiite. 



Jaws subequal in front, the lower scarcely included. Maxillary If 

 in head, considerably longer than pectoral. Teeth not very large, those 

 on palatines and tongue rather small. 



Scales on cheeks large, in 4 or 5 rows. Scales on body everywhere 

 large, those on breast not reduced ; three series between adipose tin and 

 lateral line; lateral line conspicuous, slightly keeled on the tail. 



Origin of dorsal midway between adipose fin and nostrils, the fin 

 high, as high as long, the longest rays If in head. Caudal If in head; 

 ])ectoral 1§, reaching about to seventh scale of lateral line ; ventral 1^ ; 

 insertion of ventrals under second third of pectoral, the tin extending 

 to slightly beyond base of last ray of dorsal ; base of anal as long as max- 

 illary. 



Our specimens are evidently identical with Poey's " Species dubia, 

 an Synodus intermedia. IS'o. G8." 



CYPRINODOIS^TID^. 



20. Cyprinodon variegatus Lac. (30829.) 



Ci/priiiodon (jihhosus Baird & Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila. 1853, 390. 



Body very short and robust, in adults high and much compressed, 

 the females abruptly constricted at base of caudal peduncle; caudal 

 peduncle rather short and high, rapidly narrowed backwards to tail, its 

 greatest height nearly equal to length of bead, its least height one-half 

 head; head short, little depressed, narrowed upwards and forwards, 

 with sharp snout and small mouth; width of mouth rather less than 

 lenatb of snout; teeth large, in a single series, consisting of wedge- 

 shaped incisors, much widened towards tips, the cutting edge tricuspid; 

 no villiform teeth ; eye moderate, its diameter longer than mandible, 

 slightly less than interorbital width, about equal to length of snout, 

 and contained 3^ times in length of bead ; interorbital width 3 in bead. 

 Opercle joined by membrane to shoulder-girdle from a point slightly 

 above base of pectoral. 



