306 CTPRINODONTID^. 



Lebias ellipsoidea, Lesueur, Joxirn, Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. ii. 1821, 



p. 6, pi. 2. 



rhomboidalis, Valenc. in Humb. Obs. Zool. ii. p. 160. 



Cyprinodon ovinus, Valenc. in Humb. Obs. Zool. ii. p. 164. 



Lebias ovinus, Dekai/, Nat. Hist. Neio York, Fish. p. 215, pi. 17. 



fig-. 84, 



D. 10-11. A. 10-11. V. 7. L. lat. 25. L. transv. 12-13. 



The height of the body is contained from twice and one-eighth to 

 twice and one-third in the total length (without caudal), the length 

 of the head thrice and one-fourth. The humeral scale (behind the 

 gill-opening) is three or four times as large as the others. Snont 

 very obtuse, the mandible being directed obliquely upwards. Tne 

 diameter of the eye equals the length of the snout, is two-sevenths 

 of that of the head, and less than the width of the interorbital space. 

 Dorsal and anal of moderate size, very much higher in males than in 

 females and young males, but they extend only to the middle of the 

 tail when laid backwards. The origin of the dorsal is midway between 

 the root of the caudal and the end of the snout in females, but more 

 advanced in males ; in both it corresponds to the eighth scale of the 

 lateral line, and is conspicuously in advance of the vertical from the 

 root of the ventral fins. The first anai ray is below the end of the 

 dorsal. Mandible about as long as the eye. 



Mah without black spots on the body ; caudal and sometimes the 

 other fins black-edged. 



Females with irregular blackish or black vertical spots on the body ; 

 fins without black margin; a black stripe across the root of the 

 caudal. 



United States. 



a-h. Males, 2 and 2i inches long. North America. From Mr. 



Parnell's Collection. 

 c-e. Females, 2 and 2| inches long. North America. From Mr. 



Parnell's Collection. 

 f-g. Females, 1 and 1^ inches long. North America. From Mr. 



Parnell's Collection. 

 li-m. Females, 1| inches long. From the Haslar Collection. 



9. Cyprinodon carpio. 



D. 11-12. A. 10. V. 7. L. lat. 25. L. transv. 10. 



The height of the body is contained from twice and two-fifths to 

 twice and three-fifths in the total length (without caudal), the length 

 of the head thrice. The humeral scale (behind the gill-opening) is 

 scarcely larger than the others. Snout rather obtuse, the mandible 

 being directed obliquely upwards. The diameter of the eye is a 

 little less than the length of the snout, two-sevenths of that of the 

 head, and less than the width of the interorbital space. Dorsal and 

 anal of moderate size. The origin of the dorsal is somewhat nearer 

 to the root of the caudal, than to the end of the snout (in females), 

 and corresponds to the ninth scale of the lateral line ; it is distinctly 

 behind the vertical from the root of the ventral fins. The first anal 



