310 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The body is short and stout in both sexes ; its depth one fourth 

 of the length including the tail and slightly greater than the 

 length of the head. The head is moderately short, with an 

 obtuse snout and the space between the eyes very flat. The 

 lower jaw projects slightly. The eye is about two thirds as 

 long as the snout and one fifth the length of the head. The 

 pectoral reaches to the ninth or tenth row of scales ; its length 

 is equal to the base of the dorsal. The dorsal is considerably 

 nearer to the end of the tail than to the tip of the snout; its 

 longest ray in the female one half the length of head. The anal 

 is entirely under the dorsal; its longest ray equals the longest 

 of the dorsal, its base about one third the length of head. The 

 ventral origin is under about the twelfth scale of the median 

 line, its length two thirds of that of the pectoral, considerably 

 less than half the head; when extended it reaches nearly to 

 vent. The least depth of the caudal peduncle is one seventh of 

 the length including caudal. All the fins have rounded out- 

 lines, and the caudal is specially convex. Scales 14-35. D. 11* 

 A. 11. 



The females are nearly uniform olivaceous, lighter below; 

 caudal with a median narrow band of a paler color ; most of the 

 scales having a narrow, dusky subniarginal streak; the scales 

 of the head very irregularly arranged and unequal in size. The 

 males are dark greenish, with many narrow, irregular, silvery 

 bars on the sides and with the belly yellowish or orange. The 

 sides are also more or less spotted with white or yellow. The 

 dorsal, anal and caudal are dark with many small pale spots. 

 On the last rays of the dorsal there is frequently a dark blotch, 

 which sometimes is surrounded by paler, giving it an ocellated 

 appearance. In the young this blotch is often subdivided into 

 two parts. Narrow dark bands are sometimes present in the 

 young male. 



The killifish has been found in the Delaware by Prof. Cope. 

 It is frequently called mummichog or salt-water minnow, and 

 the name mudfish has also been applied to it. In the vicinity of 

 Boston it is known to boys under the name of cobbler, and on 

 Long Island it is called mummy or chog-mummy. 



