15. ANABLKPS. 837 



tance from the caudal fin. Brownish olive above, sometimes with 

 series of black dots along the rows of scales. Dorsal and caudal fins 

 crossed by series of black dots ; middle of anal blackish. 

 Lake of Nicaragua. 



a. Several females, 1| or 2 inches long. Presented by Captain Dow. 



15. ANABLEPS.* 

 Aiiableps, Artedi, Genera, p. 25. 



Head broad and depressed, with the supraorbital part very much 

 raised. Body elongate, depressed aiitcriorly and compressed pos- 

 teriorly. Cleft of the mouth horizontal, of moderate width, the 

 mandible being short, having, however, its bones firmly united ; 

 upper jaw protractile. Both jaws armed with a band of villiform 

 teeth, those of the outer series being largest and somcAvhat move- 

 able. The integuments of the eye are divided into an upper and 

 lower portion by a dark-coloured transverse band of the conjunctiva ; 

 also the pupil is incompletely divided into two by a pair of lobes 

 projecting from each side of the iris. Nasal opening produced into 

 a short tubule depending from each side of the mouth. Scales 

 rather small or of moderate size. Dorsal and anal fins short, the 

 former behind the latter. The anal fin of the male is modified into 

 a thick and long scaly conical organ with an orifice at its extremity. 

 Intestinal tract but little convoluted. The gill-membranes of both 

 sides are united for a short distance, and not attached to the 

 isthmus. 



Fresh waters of Central America and of the tropical parts of 

 South America. 



1. Anableps tetrophthalmus. 



Anableps, Artedi in Seba, iii. p. 108, tab. 34. f. 7, and Genera, p. 25 ; 

 Synon. p. 43 ; Gronov. Zoophyl. p. 117. no. 360, tab. 1. figs. 1-3, 

 and Mus. i. p. 12. no. 32. 



Cobitis anableps, L. Si/st. Nat. i. p. 499. 



Anableps tetrophthalmus, £1. viii. p. 7, tab. 361 ; £1. Sc/in. p. 389, 

 tab. 76. 



surinaniensis, Lacep. v p. 26. 



gronovii, Cm. S,- Val. xviii. p. 252, pis. 538, 539. 



lineatus, Gronov. Syst. ed. Gray, p. 192. 



Anatomy : Lacep. Mhn. Instit. Nat. Sc. Math. Pkys. ii. p. 372 (eye) ; 

 Meckel, Deutsch. Arch. Physiol. 1818, iv. p. 124 (eye) ; and Valen- 

 ciennes, I. c. 



Development: Wyman, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 1854, v. p. 80, 

 and Bost. Jonrn. Nat. Hist. 1857, vi. p. 432. 



B.5. D.9. A. 9. P. 22. V. 6. L. lat. 50-55. Vert. 25/26-28. 



The length of the head is two-ninths of the total (without caudal). 

 The flat ottom part of the interorbital space is nearly as broad as a 

 scale. Sides of the body with five, and of the tail with three, 

 blackish longitudinal bands. 



Guianas. 



* Anab'eps elongatus, Cttv. Sc Val. xviii. p. 207. pi. 541.- Cayenne. 

 VOL. VI. / 



