THE CYPRINODONTS. 105 



B. U. S. G. Surv., IV, 433, — Man. Vert., 262; G. & B., 1S79, B. Ess. Inst,, XI, 21; Goode, 1880, P. U. 

 S. Mus., II, 118 ; Jor. & G., 1879, P. U. S. Mus., I, 381 ; Bean, 1881, P. U. S. Mus., Ill, 103. 



Fundulus majalis Gtlir., 1S66, Cat., VI, 322; Jor. & G., 1S83, P. U. S. Mus., V, 585; Ryder, 18S6, 

 P. U. S. Mus,, VIII, 155, pi. XI, fig, 29-30 ; Jor., 1887, P. U. S. Mus., IX, 26 ; Bean, 1889, B. U. S. F. 

 Com., VII, 132, 147, —1892, P. U. S. Mus., XIV, 92 ; Smith, 1892, B. U. S. F. Com., X, 65, pi, 19, fig. 1. 



Fmululits (Jlydrargi/ra) majalis Jor. & G., 1882, B. 16 U. S. Mus., 331, 332 ; Jor., 1887, R. U. S. F. 

 Com., S36. 



Fundulus similis Jor. & G., 1883, P. U. S. Mus., V, 585, 619. 



B. 6 ; D. 14-13; A. 11-10; V. 6 ; P. 18 ; LI. 36-33 ; Ltr. 13-12 ; Vert. 

 14 + 20. 



Form somewhat elongate, compressed, not very wide at the shoulders, 

 subquadrate in transverse section through the head, arch of back rather low, 

 caudal pedicel moderately deep. Head long, pointed, as broad as deep, three 

 tenths, or less, of the length to the base of the caudal ; crown straight to 

 slightly concave longitudinally, a trifle arched transversely. Snout elongate, 

 one and one half times as long as the eye, blunt, not so steep or so much 

 rounded as in F. hctcrocUtus. Mouth wide ; lower jaw longer, upper protrac- 

 tile. Teeth conical, hooked, in bands, outer series larger ; pharyngeal with 

 a shoulder, hooked, a considerable number, and more with age, of the me- 

 dian resembling molars. Eye two thirds of snout, three sevenths of inter- 

 orbital space, one fifth of head. Two to three rows of scales below the eye 

 on the chee]\. Origin of dorsal midway from nostril to tip of caudal, several 

 rays forward of that of anal. Base of anal shorter than that of dorsal, 

 but tip of fin reaching farther back. Anal of male becoming pointed, and 

 concave on its hinder border. Pectorals reaching bases of ventrals. Caudal 

 subtruncate, two thirds as broad as long, rays two thirds as long as head. 



Olivaceous, centres of scales lighter, whitish to yellowish below, brownish, 

 bronzed and puncticulate to silvery on the cheek, top of head dark. Males 

 and young with ten to eighteen narrow bands of brown across the sides. 

 Females when half grown or larger have a longitudinal band from the upper 

 angle of the opercle to the middle of the caudal pedicel ; commonly there is 

 a .shorter band below this more or less broken into spots; many have two 

 bands below this long one and another above it. On the caudal pedicel the 

 female usually has one or more vei'tical bands, the most distinct and longest 

 being that nearest the rays. The upper end of the liindmost band on the 

 pedicel is deepest in color and remains as a black spot in ca.se the bands fade. 

 The colors in young and old and male and female are well .shown on Plate 

 IX. A black spot is -occasionally present on the posterior rays of the dorsal. 



Attaining a length of six inches. Canada to Florida along the shores. 



14 



