THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 343 



white, with spots of greenish golden sprinkled in the intervals. Oper- 

 culum bronzed, iris greenish blnck, with a narrow golden ring on the 

 inner border; D. and C. dark olive, margined with light grass green, the 

 former with greenish white spots on the posterior half, some of them 

 occasionally confluent; the latter with smaller spots of the same on the 

 membrane, arranged in series transverse to the rays ; A. and P. gamboge 

 yellow on the distal half, with black spots posteriorly, the former with 

 some light spots. Length three inches. 



Female fishes corresponding to the F. v'lridescens of De Kay, and 

 probably of this species, are uniform olive, with the belly j'ellowish 

 white. Some specimens have obscure vertical dark lines. 



This species is exceedingly abundant in the small creeks of the salt 

 meadow^s, less numerous in the ponds. They are very active in their 

 movements, darting to cover at the slightest alarm. Like all the other 

 species, they are excessively voracious, and a dead fish of considerable 

 size will be eaten up in a few minutes by the dense crowd of these 

 diminutive scavengers, darting upon it from all points. A clam 

 pounded up and thrown in among them, will in a moment attract many 

 hundreds, and they are frequently taken for bait, by putting the clam 

 into a scoop-net, and withdrawing the net suddenly, with the fish en- 

 closed. 



There is no doubt that the various species of cyprinodonts on our 

 coast perform very important services in rapidly removing dead ani- 

 mals, as fishes, crabs, shells, &c., from the water, and thus keeping up 

 the proper equilibrium. This they do to a mucli greater extent than 

 the crabs, which, however, assist in the labor. Abundant everywhere 

 along the shores and in the creeks and ponds of the meadow's, they are 

 always on hand to do their work. 



Nothing was observed at Beesley point in regard to the reproductive 

 peculiarities of any of the cyprinodonts, the season of the year not be- 

 ing favorable. It is very probable, however, that most of them are 

 viviparous, like many other species of the family. Like the others, this 

 one is remarkably tenacious of life, resisting successfully long absence 

 from water, even to the extent of considerable desiccation. 



A few specimens were caught in the fresh waters of Cedar Swamp 

 creek. Tliey are, however, essentially a salt water species. 



38. FuNDULUs DiAPHANUS, Agass. 



Hydrnrgira diaphajia, Lesueur. — DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 219. 



This species was found abundantly in Ludlum's run, at a point 

 where the water is perfectly fresh at low tide, but becomes brackish 

 during high water. It was also taken in the fresh waters of Cedar 

 Swamp creek. I do not remember to have ever noticed it in perfectly 

 salt water. 



