326 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTnYOLOGY IV. 



6 iu head. The pectoral reaches half way to the dorsal. The color is precisely as de- 

 scribed for coniiitus, except that the middle stripe is decidedly paler thau the <;rouud 

 color of the body, but darker on the heai, the change being abrupt at the opercular 

 margin. The caudal lin is dark brown, with several vertical rows of white specks or 

 hlotches running across Ihe rays. The anterior part of the dorsal is similar iu color, 

 hut paler. Total length a triile over an inch. A scale from the region mentioned by 

 Putnam is similar to that of: a^assizi, hut with 5 or G concentric lines and 3 radiating 

 furrows. 



The specimen thus agrees with cornutas in position of eye and plan of markings, 

 with agasslzi iu length of iiectorals and structure of scales, is intermediate in length 

 of head, and agrees with neither in color of caudal and dorsal and tint of middlo 

 hand. {Forbes, in lit. November 4, 1880. ) 



Family XLIX.— CYPRINODONTID^. 



[The Cijprinodonts.) 



Body oblong or moderately elongate, compressed behind, depressed 

 forwards, covered with rather large cycloid scales, which are adherent 

 and regularly arranged. Ko lateral line. Head scaly, at least above. 

 Mouth terminal, small, the lower jaw usually projecting; margin of the 

 upper jaw formed by the premaxillaries only, premasillaries strong, 

 extremely protractile. Teeth incisor-like or villiform, sometimes present 

 on the vomer, but usually iu the jaws only; lower pharyngeals sepa- 

 rate, with cardiform teeth. Gill-membranes somewhat connected, free 

 from isthmus; gill-rakers very short, thick. Branchiostegals 4-6. 

 Pseudobranchite none. Dorsal fin single, inserted posteriorly, of soft 

 rays only, rarely with a single spine or a rudimentary spinous dorsal ; 

 caudal fin not forked ; ventral fins abdominal, rarely wanting ; pectoral 

 fins inserted low; no adipose fin. Stomach not coecal, without pyloric 

 appendages. Air-bladder simple, often wanting. Sexes usually unlike, 

 the fins being largest iu the males. Most or all are ovoviviparous, 

 the young well developed at time of birth. Fresh-water fishes of South- 

 ern Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, some of them occurring in bays 

 and arms of the sea. They are mostly of small size, and the species are 

 very difficult of determination. Genera 30; species about 140. 



(Cyprinodoniidce Giinther, vi, 29y-356.) 



Note. — In the following analysis the genera known from Mexico are also included, 

 their names being placed in italics. 



* Intestinal canal comparatively short, little convoluted ; teeth mostly fixed; dentary 



bones firmly joined. ( Carnivorw. ) 

 a. Anal fin of the male not modified into an intromittent organ. 



6. Teeth incisor-like, notched; insertion of dorsal nearly opposite ventrals. (Cy- 



prinodontincc.) 

 e. Teeth in a single series ; hody short and deep. 



d. Dorsal very long, with 16-18 rays, the first spine-like. ..Jordanella, 156. 

 dd. Dorsal short, of 10-11 rays, the first ray small Cypkinodgx, 157. 



