952 Bulletin 4y, United States National Museum. 



caudal fin widely forked. Lateral line present. Gill membranes free from 

 the isthmus. Brauchiostegals 7 ; no pseudobranchiie. No air bladder. 

 Pyloric appendages very numerous. Vertebnu about 30. A single genus. 

 with probably but two species. Very large fishes, inhabiting the high 

 seas in warm regions, noted for their brilliant and changeable colors. 

 {Scombrida!, genus Coryphcma, Giiuther, Cat., ii, 404-108, 1860.) 



433. CORYPH.(ENA, Liuna?u8. 

 (Dolphins.) 



Coryphmna, Linn^us, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 1758, 261, (hijipitrxs). 



Caraiu-omoriis, LAcf:PKDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iii, 26, 1802, (pelagicus). 



Lepitiiphia, Kafinesque, Caratteri, etc., .S3, 1810, {kippuroidcs). 



Lampnijus, CuviEK & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IX, 317, 1833, (pelayiaa^; young form). 



Characters of the genus included above. The species are not well 

 known, having been unduly multiplied by authors. According to Dr. 

 Liitken all are probably reducible to two. {Kopv<t>ntva, the name applied 

 by Aristotle to Corypliana lilppurus, ivom. /fupur, helmet ; (paivu, to show.) 



o. Dorsal rays 55 to 05; anal 26 to 30; .adult male witli tlie frout greatly elevated, forming a 



liigh crest. hippurus, 1.352. 



aa. Dorsal rays 51 to 55; anal 24 to 26; profile of adult male not very steep, not very different 



from that of the female. equisetis, 13.53. 



1352. CORYPHEXA HIPPURUS, Linnceus. 

 (Common Dolphin ; Dorado ; Dourade.) 



Head 4f to 5| ; depth 5. D. 55 to 65; A. 26 to 30. Profile in adult male 

 nearly vertical ; maxillary reaching middle of eye or beyond. Vertebrto 

 30 or 31. Ventrals inserted slightly behind upper ray of pectoral, its 

 length li in head; pectoral 1^. Colors brilliant in life, the head, body, 

 and tail greenish olive, changing suddenly at death ; brownish olive 

 above, white or golden below, with a series of about 15 bright-blue spots 

 on back along each side of dorsal, the largest on the back and head, forming 

 bands on the snout ; dorsal purplish blue, with paler oblique lines ; other 

 fins tinged with blue ; caudal yellow ; in spirits pale, with blackish spots 

 on the lower parts. Length 6 feet. Pelagic, noith on our coast to Cape 

 Cod ; abundant from South Carolina to Texas ; not definitely known 

 from the eastern Pacific. Eemarkable for its brilliant coloration, whicli 

 fades at death, although the change has been much exaggerated. A good 

 food-fish. (Eu.) (iTTTTOf, horse; oi»pd, tail.) 



Conjphsnia lu})ptmis, LinN-T^us, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 1758, 261, open seas; GCnther, Cat., ii. 40.1, 

 1800; Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 914, 1883, and of authors .&oneraIIy. 



Scomber pelagicvs, Linn.'eu.s, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 1758, 290, no locality. 



Coi-yphsena fasciolalns, Pallas, Spicil. Zoiil., viii, pi. 3, fig. 2, 1772, Amboina. 



Coryphxna chrysiiriis, LAcfipfiDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., ii, pi. 18, fig. 2, 1799. 



Corijphxna impei-kiUs, Kafinesque, Caratteri, &c., 33, 1810, Sicily. 



Lepimphis hippiiroides, Kafinesque, Caratteri, &c., 34, 1810, Palermo. 



Coryphxtiaimmaculata, Aqassiz, in Spix, Pise. Bras., in, pi. 56, 1829, Atlantic, off Brazil. 



CorypIuBiia marcgranii, Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., ix, 301, 1833, South 

 America. 



