Gfi ATHERIN'TDvE MENIDIA. 407 



lower jaw short ; maxillary slii>ping CDtircly niulor pr. orbital ; jaws each, 

 with a baud of simple, usually villiforiii teeth, rremaxillaries very freely 

 protractile*, their spines comparatively long, nearly equal to the eye, 

 extendiufj backward beneath a fold of skin which connects the bases of 

 the maxillaries; posterior ])art of premaxillaries broad. No teetli on 

 vomer or palatines. Scales entire, or -with the edges crenate orlaciniate. 

 Species numerous, of moderate or sm:dl size, some of them entering 

 fresh waters. {Mcnidia, an old name of some small silvery fish, from 

 //7;>-/j, the moon.) 



640. m. biSSCB (C. & \.) J. &, G. 



Clear trausparent green; sides with a well-defined silvery bind, § 

 diameter of the eye ; back and chin with large, black dots. Eye large, 3.V 

 in head, a little longer than snout. Scales firm, their edges strongly 

 crenate, those on the back laciniate. Upper jaw the longer. First dor- 

 sal very feeble, over the beginning of the anal, rather nearer the tip of 

 the caudal than the snout. Distance from first to second dorsal | length 

 of head. Pectorals reaching ventrals, nearly as long as the head. 

 Ventrals falling far short of the base of the first dorsal; second dorsal 

 very short. Teetli short, even, forming a narrow villiform band. Head 

 4|; depth 5.]. D. IV-I, S ; xV. 1, 22 ; scales 45-7. L. 5 inches. Atlantic 

 Coast of the United States, chiefly" southward; abundant. 



(Athcriiia mcniclin Linn. Syst. Nafc. : Aihcrina ho^ci Cuv. et Val. x, 4G5, 1835 : Alherlna 

 menidia DcXay, New York Fauna, Fish. 142: Alherliticlithys menidia et iiolala (Jiintlu'r, 

 iii, 40(5.) 



64 8. J^I. vaso'JasBS (Goode & Bean) J. & G. 



Silvery streak occupying the lower t\vo-thirds of the third and the 

 upper two-thirds of the fourth series of scales. Eye 3 in head, as long 

 as lower jaw, greater than snout and less than interorbital width. Pre- 

 maxillaries freely protractile; teeth rather strong. Scales laciniate on 

 the back, nearly entire laterally. First dorsal inserted opi)osite the 

 space between the anal fin and the vent, nearer base of caudal than 

 snout. Pectoral about as long as head. Caudal slightly forked, the 

 lobes equal. Vertical fins excessively scaly. Uead 5; depth 5i| D. 

 V-I, 7; A. I, 18; scales 48-7. L. 4 inches. Virginia to Gulf of Mexico. 



(CltiroNtoma ratjrann Goode *fc IJean, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mu.s. lb7'J, 148.) 

 642. TM. n<»t:itn (Mitch.) .T. & (i.—Silrcrsidc. 



Transparent green, with a lateral silvery band half the width of the 



*\Ve have hcen ahlo to verify this character on only a few of tlie foreign Ri)C('iea, 

 Wo arc therefore uncertain whether the hulk of the species referred hy Dr. Giiuthct 

 to "Alhcrinichllijjs" belong to Menidia or to Athcrinoima. 



