THE CYPRINODONTS. 33 



longer than snout, nearly equal width of forehead, one third of head. Dor- 

 sal origin about midway from occiput to base of caudal, or nearly half way 

 from snout to end of caudal. Anal origin below the fourth or fifth ray of the 

 dorsal. Ventrals small, most often with five rays. Pectorals reaching a ver- 

 tical from the ventrals. Caudal convex. 



Brownish, with twelve to seventeen narrow bands of silvery crossing the 

 flanks. Fins brownish to blackish ; in cases with light borders on dorsal, 

 caudal, and anal. Anal of some specimens with silvery dots on the basal 

 half. Giinther gives the colors of the male as dark greenish brown, with 

 silvery dots on the caudal portion of the trunk; fins black, dorsal and 

 anal with two oblique series of white spots. Females and young according 

 to him are light brownish green, with numerous silvery vertical streaks ; fins 

 transparent, colorless. 



Persia ; Syria ; Dead Sea. 



Lebias mento. 



Lebias mento Heckel, 1844, Ichth. Russeg. Reisen, I, 1089, pi. 6, fig. 4. 



Cyprinodon m<r«^ Val., 1846, C. V. Poiss., XVUI, 171; Elk., 1860, Cypr., 484; Gth., 1866, Cat., 

 VI, 305. 



Lebias eypris Heck., 1844, Ichth. Russeg. Reisen, I, 1090,-1849, Vol. II, 242, pi. 19, fig. 1. 

 Cyprinodott cypria Blk., 1860, Cypr., 484 ; Gtli., 1866, Cat., VI, 304. ' ' ! 



B. 4 ; D. 11-12 ; A. 11-10 ; V. 5-6 ; P. 15 ; LI. 26-28 ; Ltr. 8. 



Short and stout, head and body compressed, caudal pedicel short, deep. 

 Head short, less than depth of body, nearly two sevenths of length to base 

 of caudal, deeper than wide, arched across the forehead. Snout shorter than 

 the eye, blunt ; chin nearly vertical. Mouth small, opening obliquely up- 

 ward ; lower jaws longer, firmly joined ; upper short, protractile. Teeth 

 strong, firmly set, tricuspid. Eye large, two sevenths of head, two thirds of 

 interorbital space, longer than snout. Dorsal origin midway from eye to 

 base of caudal. Anal origin below posterior half of base of dorsal. Ventrals 

 small, hardly reaching anal aperture, commonly five rayed. Pectorals small, 

 reaching a vertical from the ventrals. On males dorsal and anal are some- 

 what farther forward. Caudal deep, convex. I find but four branchiostegal 

 rays on each side of a specimen dissected. 



Olivaceous, light grayish to greenish; sides, belly, and lower half of cheek 

 silvery. Fins plain or clouded, or with transverse series of small dots of dark 

 color. Occasionally specimens are found that are sprinkled over head and 

 body with small dots of black. Originally described from Mossul. Appa- 



