85 



<— rhornboidalis, Valenc. in Humb. Obs. Zool. II, p. 160. 



Cyprinodon ovinus, Valenc. in Humb. Obs. Zool. II, p. 164. 



Lehias ovinus, DeKay, New York Fauna. Fish., p. 215, pi. 

 17, fig. 84 



This beautiful little fish seems to be quite common, both 

 along the coast of Worcester county and in the Chesapeake 

 Bay. It prefers shallow and quiet water, that readily 

 becomes warm by the rays of the sun. In such places it 

 swarms in shoals. Its peculiar robust body, so brightly 

 marked in the females, quickly attracts the attention of the 

 observer. 



Acad. Coll. 



XLVII-SYN0D0NTID2E. 



SYNODUS, (Gron.) Bl. Schn. 

 5, foetens. 



Providence Whiting. 



Body elongated, subcylindrical, tolerably stout, a little de- 

 pressed, covered with scales of moderate size. Length of the 

 head one-fourth of the total, (without caudal). Head oblong ; 

 the snout pointed, as long as broad. Mouth very large, cleft 

 of mouth very wide ; lower jaw shorter than the upper, and 

 when the mouth is shut, leaving the teeth of the upper ex- 

 posed. Crown of the hr>ad with a few smooth striae, radiating 

 from the hind part of the orbit. Interorbital space slightly 

 concave. Intermaxillary very long, sty] iform, tapering ; ma- 

 xillary thin, long, closely adherent to the inte. maxillary. 

 Teeth cardiform, some elongate, slender; all can be laid down- 

 wards and inwards ; teeth in the jaws, on the tongue, and on 

 the palatine bones ; those on the palate form a single band on 

 each side. Gill opening very wide. Eye of moderate size. 

 The short pectoral fin extends to the twelfth scale of the 

 lateral line. The ventral to the twelfth or fourteenth of the 



