THE CHARACIDAE. 27 



In 1854 Girard (Proc. Acad. nat. sci. Phil., 6, p. 199) described the genus 

 Cheirodon, the first Characin reported from the Pacific slope of America. This 

 genus was afterward found to be widely distributed on the eastern slope. 



In the same year Baird & Girard (Proc. Acad. nat. sci., Phil., 7, p. 27) 

 described Astyanax argenlatus, the only species that reaches the United States 

 and the first to be recorded of the overflow from South America northward. 



The notable work by Castelnau, (1855) Exped. Amerique Sud. Poissons, 

 while containing many figures and description of species added nothing to our 

 understanding of the relations of the various members of the family. 



In 1858 Gill published (Ann. Lye. nat. hist., N. Y., 6) a short paper on the 

 fresh-water fishes of Trinidad. In it he recognized Erythinus and Macrodon 

 as forming a distinct family and described a new subfamily, Stevardiinae. He 

 also established the genera Poecilurichthys and Hemigrammus. 



In the following year (1859) appeared a very important contribution to 

 the knowledge of the Characins, Zur familie der Characinen, by Kner. He 

 defined the new genera Microdus, Rhytiodus, and Bryconops and described 

 and figured a large number of new species from various parts of South America. 

 Erythrinus and Macrodon are excluded from the Characidae on account of 

 the absence of an adipose fin. The same author (1863) defined the genera 

 Pseudochalceus, Chalcinopsis, and Saccodon, the latter in connection with 

 Steindachner who has since contributed so much to the knowledge of tropical 

 American fishes. In the same year Gunther defined the genus Crenuchus. 



In 1864 we have the culmination of an epoch in the history of the Characins. 

 Before 1802, at least during the binomial period, naturalists concerned them- 

 selves altogether with the description of new species. Beginning with Lacepede, 

 in 1802, we have a series of descriptions of new genera by Cuvier, Spix, Agassiz, 

 and Muller. To this period belongs the work of Cuvier and Valenciennes 

 although it appeared later. In 1844 and 1845 we have the first attempts by 

 Muller and Troschel of a philosophic review of the material that had been 

 accumulated. All subsequent work was tinged by Muller and Troschel's Die 

 familie der Characinen. In 1864 was published the second revision of the 

 family. Cuvier and Valenciennes's work being an enumeration, or descriptive 

 catalogue, rather than a revision, and Kner's works being confined to American 

 species. Gunther, in the Catalogue of the fishes of the British Museum, 1864, 

 5, reunited the Erythrinidae with the Characinidae. He defined or used for 

 the first time the generic names Caenotropus, Brachyalestes, Creatochanes, 

 Hemibrycon, Scissor, Creagrutus, Anacyrtus, Roestes, Roeboides, Hystricodon, 



