308 CTPRINODONTrD^. 



are also tricuspid. The origin of the dorsal fin corresponds exactly 

 to the middle of the total length, and is somewhat in advance of 

 that of the anal. All the fins small. Greenish-brown (in a pre- 

 served state), with some indistinct light bands along the sides. 

 {Jen.) 



Montevideo. 



3. CHARACODON. 



Cleft of the mouth small, developed laterally and horizontally ; 

 mandible short, with the bones of each side firmly united. Snout 

 short. Teeth rather small, bicuspid, in a single series ; but there 

 is a narrow band of villiform teeth behind the series of incisors. 

 Scales of moderate size. Origin of the anal fin opposite, or nearly 

 opposite, to that of the dorsal. Anal rays more numerdus in the 

 male than in the female. Intestinal tract but slightly convoluted. 



Central America, 



1. Characodon lateralis. 



D. 10-11.- A. 13 in fem., 15-16 in male. L. lat. 35. 

 L. transv. 12. 



In general habits very similar to a Cyprinodon. Body rather 

 elevated, with the neck somewhat arched, its greatest depth being 

 rather more than the length of the head, and one-third of the total 

 (without caudal). Head thick and broad, with the snout obtuse, as 

 long as the diameter of the eye, which is one-fourth of the length 

 of the head. The mandible ascends obliquely, and is longer than 

 the eye. There are about twenty smallish teeth in each jaw ; their 

 apex is indistinctly notched, Interorbital space flat, its width being 

 two-fifths of the length of the head. The origin of the dorsal fin is 

 a little nearer to the end of the caudal than to the occiput, and a 

 little behind that of the anal. Both fins are small and rounded. 

 In the male the six anterior rays are of nearly equal length, but 

 considerably shorter than the following, forming a very distinct por- 

 tion of the fin ; all these rays are very closely set. Caudal fin small, 

 truncate or slightly convex. The distance between dorsal and caudal 

 is somewhat more than the least depth of the tail, and equal to the 

 distance between eye and gill-opening. Pectoral obtuse, not quite 

 reaching the ventral. Ventral small, not quite extending to the 

 vent. Brownish olive (in spirits), with a darker band running from 

 the eye to the root of the caudal : this band is sometimes broken up 

 into a more or less regular series of brownish black spots. 



Central America. 



a-d. Females, 2| inches long. From Dr. B. Seemann's Collection. 

 e-i. Females and two' males, 1|^ inch long. From the Haslar Col- 

 lection.. 



4. TELLIA. 



Tellia, Get-vats, Ann. Sc. Nat. 1853, xix. p. 16. 

 Very similar to Cyprinodon, but without ventral fins. The 



