36 THE CYPKINODONTS. 



Characodon lateralis. 



Plate I. Fig. 9, teeth. 



Characodon lateralis Gtlir., 1866, Cat., VI, 308,-1868, Tr. Zool. Soc, VI, 480, pL 82, fig. 2; Eig., 

 1893, P. U. S. Mus., XVI, 56. 



Characodon bilineatus Bean, 18S8, P. U. S. Mus., X, 371, pi. 20, fig. 2 ; Eig , 1893, 1. c, 56. 



Characodon variatm Bean, 1888, 1. c, 370, pi. 20, fig. 1, — 1892, P. U. S. Mus., XV, 286 ; Eig., 

 1. c, 56 ; Woolm., 1894, B. U. S. F. Com., 62. 



Characodon ferruginem Bean, 1888, P. U. S. Mus., X, 372, pi. 20, fig. 3, 4 ; Eig., I. c, 56. 



B. 4; D. 12; A. 12; V. 6 ; P. 17 ; LI. 32; Ltr. 11-12; Vert. 15+18. 



Body compressed, moderately stout, caudal pedicel deep, back gently 

 arched. Head about one third of length to base of caudal ; very little 

 arched transversely. Snout short, not as long as the eye ; chin steep. 

 Mouth medium; upper jaw protractile. Teeth in outer series bicuspid. 

 Eye large, nearly equal to interorbital space, one third longer than snout, 

 two sevenths of head. The specimen examined had four branch iostegal rays 

 on each side, whether this is normal must be decided from others. Fins 

 small ; dorsal origin about five sevenths of the distance from snout to caudal ; 

 anal opposed to dorsal ; posterior margin of caudal subtruncate. 



Olive to reddish brown, with scattered small spots of darker on the back, 

 a darker band with or without spots of dark along the flank, more distinct 

 posteriorly. Fins with fine dots of dark color. 



Originally discovered in Central America ; here described from Parras, 

 Coahuila, Mexico. 



Characodon furcidens. 



Characodon furcidens J. & G., 1883, P. U. S. Mus., V, 354, 371 ; Jor., 1886, P. U. S. Mus., VIII, 368, 

 — 1887, Rep. U. S. F. Comm., 836 ; Eig., 1893, P. U. S. Mus., XVI, 56. 



D. 15-17; A. 13 ; LI. ca. 50; Ltr. 15. 



Comparatively elongate, not greatly compressed. Head rather low, 

 broad, depressed. Caudal peduncle somewhat long and slender, about 

 length of head. Anterior teeth larger, bicuspid. Eye three tenths of 

 head. Interorbital space nearly half of head. Origin of dorsal midway 

 from base of pectoral to caudal ; fin low, not as high as long ; base three 

 fifths of the length of the head. Anal originating below seventh dorsal ray. 

 Pectorals three fifths, and ventrals one half as long as the head. Caudal 

 subtruncate, upper lobe a little the longer. 



Males mottled with darker on the flanks, or plain. Vertical fins each 

 with several bars of brownish, and a dusky subterminal bar. A narrow 

 streak of dark along the middle of each scale on the back. Females with 



