n6 Field Columbian Museum — Zoology, Vol. V. 



105. Girardinichthys innominatus Bleeker. 



Lucania sp. Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 118; City 

 of Mexico. 



Girardinichthys innominatus Bleeker, Cvprin., 484, i860; City of 

 Mexico. 



Limnurgus variegatus Gunther, Cat., vi, 309, 1866; City of Mexico. 



Girardinichthys innominatus Jordan & Evermann, Bull. 47, 

 U. S. Nat. Mus., 1896, 666: Garman, Memoirs Mus. Comp. 

 Zool., 1895, 39, pi. 1, fig. 11 (teeth); City of Mexico: Meek, 

 Field Col. Mus. Pub. 65, 1902, 95; Chalco; Texcoco; Xochi- 

 milco. 



Characodon geddesi Regan, Ann. & Mag., Nat. Hist., 1904, 257; 

 Texcoco, Mexico. 



Valley of Mexico. Abundant in the lakes, canals, and ditches. 

 (Viga Canal.) 



Head 4 ; depth 3 to 3 l 4 ; D. 18 to 23 ; A. 20 to 26 ; scales 16-40 to 44. 

 Body rather robust, deep, compressed, back not much elevated; 

 head flat above; usually in larger specimens an angle at the nape; 

 interorbital 2 in head; snout 4; eye 4; mouth small, lower jaw the 

 longer, chin prominent; teeth rather strong, conical, in a band rather 

 than in a single series; origin of dorsal fin midway between base of 

 caudal and posterior half of opercle (?) or eye ($), and slightly in 

 advance of origin of anal fin ; the fins all small ; pectoral 1 }4 in head ; 

 ventrals 3 ; caudal fin rounded ; least depth of caudal peduncle 1 ^4 

 in head; gill rakers short and stiff, about 15 on first gill arch. 



Color gravish to dark brownish, some males being almost entirely 

 black; sides variegated with darker, usually in the form of indefinite 

 bars; young specimens usually with a dark spot slightly in advance 

 and a little above anal; the color of this species is extremely variable. 

 Length about 2^ inches. 



My attention has been called by Dr. Theo. Gill to the fact that 

 the viviparity of this fish was noticed as early as 1769, a published 

 account of it appearing in 1772. The reference to this account, 

 and a translation of it by Dr. Theo. Gill, appears in his Bibliography 

 of the Fishes of the Pacific United States, Bull. 1 1, U. S. Nat. Museum, 

 1882, 8, which I here quote in full. 



' 'Voyage en Californie pour l'observation du passage de Venus 

 sur le disque du soleil, le 3 juin, 1769; contenant les observations 

 de ce phenomene at la description historique de la route de l'auteur 

 a travers le Mexique. Par feu M. Chappe d'Auteroche 

 Redige et publie par M. de Cassini fils . . . A Paris : chez Charles- 

 Antoine Jombert. 1772." (4 , half title, title, 170 (2) pp., plan, and 

 2 pi. Sabin.)' 



