6 Synopsis of the Fresh Water Fishes 



for such would be tlie result if tlie genera of the catalogue were 

 regarded as correctly identified. So flagrant are some of these 

 errors that the very improbability of their commission by one 

 having any pretensions to scientific lore might well mislead the 

 naturalist. 



Dr. Leotaud, adopting the classification of Cuvier, and profess- 

 ing also to adopt his genera, has given a catalogue of sixty-seven 

 genera, and has noted as representing them less than two hun- 

 dred species of the osseous fishes of that naturalist. Of these 

 sixty-seven genera, nine are indicated as being represented by 

 fresh water species ; one of these genera is represented as con- 

 taining both marine and fluviatile species, and the others have 

 only fresh water species attributed to them. 



Wa will now give in the author's own words, such parts of 

 the catalogue as relate to the species which form the subject of 

 our synopsis ; the notes which we place after the species to 

 which they refer, are, in the original, placed at the bottom of 

 the page. 



" Order I. — Acanthopterygians. 

 Family V. 

 Menides. 



Gerres. — 1 species. 

 Fresh water pike, or brochet. 



Family VII. 



SCOMBEROIDES. 



Trichiurus. — 1 species. 



A fish found in our ponds and ravines resembling the lamprey ; 

 hence its name of cutlass-fish or coutelas. 



Order II. — Malacopterygians. 

 Family V. 

 Cyprinoides. 



Poecilia. — 2 species. 



A small fish found in rivulets, and even in wells in Port of Spain. 



