I 



10. I'CECtLIA. 339 



Second Group. CYPRINODONTID^ LIMNOPHAG^. 



The bones of each mandibulary are not united; intestinal 

 tract with numerous convolutions. Sexes differentiated. Mud- 

 eating. 



16. PCECILIA* 



Poecilia, sp. Bl. Schn. p. 452. 

 Limia, Poey, Mem. Cuh. ii. p. 383. 



On the Development and Anatomy, see Dumrnoii, Ann. Sc. Nat. 

 1844, 3« ser. i. p. 313. 



Cleft of the mouth small, transverse ; mandible very short, with 

 the bones not united, the dentary being moveable. Snout not pro- 

 duced. Both jaws with a narrow band of minute teeth, those of 

 the outer series being the largest and somewhat moveable. Scales 

 rather large. Origin of the anal fin generally nearly opposite to 

 that of the dorsal in the female, but in the male it is modified into 

 an intromittent organ and much advanced. Dorsal fin short, with 

 not more than eleven rays. Intestinal tract with numerous convo- 

 lutions. Mud-eating. 



West Indies ; Central and South America. 



1 . PoecUia vittata. 



Fanguito. 



Pcecilia vittata, Guichen. in Bamon de la Sagra, Hist. Nat. Cuba, 



Poiss. p. 146, pi. 5. fig. 1. 

 Limia vittata, Poei/, Mem. Cub. i. p. 389, lam. 31. figs. 14-16. 



D. 10. A. 10. L. lat. 32. L. transv. 10. Vert. 13/16. 



The height of the body is contained thrice and one-third in the 

 total length (-without caudal), the length of the head four times. 

 The origin of the dorsal fin is nearer to the occiput than to the root 

 of the caudal, and, in the female, in advance of that of the anal. 

 Dorsal of moderate size, anal small. In the male, the origin of the 

 anal is nearly equidistant between the end of the snout and the root 

 of the caudal, and the pectoral does not extend to the anal. Tail 

 moderately elongate, its fiee portion being much longer than high. 

 Two series of dark dots along the side of the body. 



Havannah, 



* 1. Xiphophorus gillii, Kner ^ Steindachner, Monatsber. Akad. Wiss. Miinch. ; 

 and Ahhandl. Bayr. Akad. Wiss. 1864 (1866), x. taf. 4. fig. 1.— Eio 

 Chagres. 

 2. Molinesia fasciata, MiUl. 8f- Trosck. Monatsber. Akad. Wiss. Berl. 1844, 

 p. 36. — Mexico. 



3. • aurinamensis, Miill. &f Trosch. I. c. 



z2 



