COPEIA 47 



Careful measurements of a female Mobula are 

 given on page 280 in which "hoth uteri were equally 

 developed," a condition hard to explain, if this in- 

 dividual had ever had young. I have found the 

 left uterus only functional in this species. 



Russell J. Coles, 



Danville, Fa. 



OX HEPSETIA BONAPARTE, A FORGOT- 

 TEN GENUS OF ATHERINOID FISHES 



The Fauna Italica of Bonaparte was issued in 

 large sheets without date or pagination, the date 

 usually assigned being 1830. 



In this volume three new genera of Silversides 

 (Atherinidae) , are indicated: Menidia, Membras and 

 Hepsetia. Of these, Menidia is defined, but without 

 mention of type. Jordan and Gilbert assumed in 

 1883 that Atherina menidia L. was intended as the 

 type species, a view which is doubtless correct. Mem- 

 bras is also indicated without type. Its definition 

 contains nothing tangible. According to Aristotle, 

 the [*£\i$qcu; or |^»|%*? is a small fish of the shores of 

 Greece, similar to the «cpi>n or Aphya (Atherina hep- 

 setus) , but not so good as food. This account may fit 

 Atherina moehon Cuv. and Val, a small species also 

 found in Greece, and is very likely the original 

 [XE^Qag. In want of other information we may take 

 Atherina moehon as type of Membras in which case 

 Membras becomes a synonym of Atherina. Hepsetia 

 has been thus far overlooked. Its type is expressly 

 stated to be Atherina boyeri Risso, while that of ^Ith- 

 erina is Atherina hepsetus L. Hepsetia is defined as 

 having rather strong teeth in the jaws, vomer and 



