:n()tk ox the nomenclatukr of the pcecilioid 



FISHES. 



By Theodore Gill, LL.D. 



It is generally believed that Agassiz was the first to detach the 

 ryprinodouts from the cypriuids. After the publication of my note 

 on the nomenclature, however, I came across an earlier paper by 

 Kudolph Wa.U'iier,' in which he named ('' Oyprinofdae") and well diag- 

 nosed the family; and, singularly enough, this article iiinnediately fol- 

 lowed Agassiz's maiden ichthyological contribution, a description of 

 Ci/priniis [Barhns] vranoscopnsr Agassiz must therefore have been 

 l)erfectly cognizant of Wagner's article and must be blamed for not 

 having referred to it. Further, Wagner well defined the new family, 

 while Agassiz did not. The differential characters specified by Wag- 

 ner were as follows : 



Die Gattuug Lehia-s biklet luit deu Gattungen PoeciUa, Fundnhis, LUiprniodoH uiid 

 MoliencKia Lesueui', weim sicli letztere Gattuug durcli ^yeitere Uutersncliung 

 l)est;itigen sollte, eine sehr schone kleiue Familie, wclche ieh die Familie der 

 Cypriuoiden geuaunt liabe, wegeu ihrer grosseu Yerwaudtsc-baft mit deu Ciiprinns- 

 Arten, wovou sie sicli jedoch durch die Ziiline iu dem Ober- uud Futerkiefer, durcb 

 die Lage der Kiickeu- uud Schwauztiosse uud die Zahl der Strableu der Kieuieu- 

 baut uuterscbeideu. 



This statement of differences is supplemented by a correct formal 

 diagnosis in Latin nnder the name Cypri)io'i(lae, and a synopsis of all the 

 genera and species. 



rinfortunately, Wagner gave a name in accordance with a custom to 

 some extent prevalent at his time,^ but now universally discarded. Con- 



' Beitriige zur ICeuutuiss der Gattuug Lehias Cuvier uud der verwaudteu Gat- 

 tuugen, [etc.] < Isis, XXI, col. 1050-1058, pi. 12, figs. 1-10, 1828. 



-Bescbreibuug eiuer neueu Species aus deui Gattuug Cypr'niiis, I.iuu. <^ Isis, XXI, 

 col. 1046-1049, pi. 12, fig. 1 fa-d), fig. 2 (a-d), 1828. 



^As an iustance of similar usage tbework of Miudiug (1832) may be cited, Avbcreiu 

 tbe families Clupeoidea (p. 78), Cypriuoides (p. 78), Bleunioides (pp. 80,92), Scom- 

 beroides (pp. 80, 88, 130), Percoides (p. 87) are named, uot because they are typified 

 by the uame-giviug genera, but because their representatives are like them. The 

 same names are nevertheless giveu to the families containing the genera. The 

 names are, therefore, descriptive adjectives, aud to be considered iu connection with 

 the ordinal names, as Apodes malacopterygii clupeoides, Apodes acanthopterygii blen- 

 uioides aud scomberoides, etc. 



Proceedings of the United States Ni'.tional ^luseuin, \'ol. XVIII— No. 1060. 



221 



