16. pcEciLiA. 345 



• 10. Foecilia vivipara. 



Poecilia vivipara, Bl. Schn. p. 452, tab. 86. fig. 2 ; Peters, 3Ionatsber. 



Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1864, p. 396. 

 surinamensis, Valenc. in Humboldt, Observ, Zool. ii. p. 158, pi, 51. 



fig. 1 ; Cuv. Sf Val. xviii. p. 120. 

 sclineideri, Cuv. 8f Vol. xviii. p. 135. 



B. 5. D. 7. A. 7. L. lat. 24. Yert. 15/13. 



The height of chu body is one-third of the total length (without 

 caudal) ; the diameter of the eye is one-third of the length of the 

 head, or one-half of the width of the interorbital space. Greenish, 

 each scale with the margin brownish ; dorsal fin witli a small blackish 

 spot in the middle ; caudal with a black spot near the base of the 

 upper and lower rays. 



Brazil; Guyanas ; Martinique. 



11. Poecilia spilums. 



Known from a female only. 



D.7. A. 8. L. lat. 26. L. transv. 9. 



The height of the body is two-sevenths of the total length (with- 

 out caudal) ; the length of the head one-fourth ; the width of the 

 interorbital space is a Little less than the distance between the gill- 

 opening and the centre of the eye ; the diameter of the eye is more 

 than the length of the snout, one-third of that of the head, and 

 three-fifths of the width of the interorbital sj^ace. The origin of the 

 dorsal fin is midway between the root of the caudal and the upper 

 end of the gill-opening, corresponding to the thirteenth scale of the 

 lateral line. Origin of the anal fin distinctly in advance of that of 

 the dorsal (in the female) ; dorsal and anal fins small ; base of the 

 caudal fin covered with scales. Tail of "moderate height, its least 

 depth being equal to the length of the head (without snout). 

 Brownish olive, each scale darker in the centre ; a black spot on 

 each side of the back of the root of the tail ; dorsal fin with a few. 

 black spots along the middle. 



Central America. 



a. Female, 2| inches long. 



, 12. Poecilia melanogaster. 



Known from females only. 



D. 8. A. 8. L. lat. 26. L. transv. 8. 



The height of the body (measured between the origins of the dorsal 

 and anal) is contained thrice and a third in the total length (with- 

 out caudal), the length of the head thrice and three-fourths; the 

 diameter of the eye of fuU-grown specimens is somewhat more than 

 the extent of the snout, contained thrice and one-fourth in the 

 length of the head, and more than one-half of the width of the inter- 

 orbital space. The origin of tlie dorsal fin is midway between the 

 root of the caudal and the occiput, and corresponds to the eleventh 



