THE BLIND FISH FAMILY. 35 



Tellkampf and Wyman are all that have ever been written on the 

 subject of any importance, with the exception of the description 

 of the eye by Dr. Dalton, whose paper, in the "New York Medical 

 Times," vol. 2, p. 354, I have not seen. Prof. Poey gives a com- 

 parison of portions of the structure with that of the Cuban blind 

 fishes. 



Dr. Tellkampf proposed the name of Heteropygii* for the family 

 of which, at the time, a single species from the Mammoth Cave was 

 the only known representative, and makes a comparison of the char- 

 acters with those of Apliredoderus Say anus, a fish found only in the 

 fresh waters of the United States, and belonging to the old family 

 of Percoids, but now considered as representing a family by itself, 

 though closely allied to the North American breams (Pomotis), and 

 having the anal opening under the throat as in the blind fish. 



Dr. Storer,f not knowing of Dr. Tellkampf 's paper, proposed 

 the name of Hypsceidce, for the blind fish, and placed it between 

 the minnow and the pickerel families, in the order of Malacoptery- 

 gian, or soft rayed, fishes. According to the system adopted by 

 Dr. Giinther, it stands as closely allied to the minnows, Cyprino- 

 dontidce (many of which are viviparous and have the single ovary 

 and general character of the blind fish), and the shiners, Cyprini- 

 dm, of the order of Physostomi. Dr. Tellkampf, in discussing the 

 relations of the family, points out its many resemblances to the 

 family of Clupesoces, and its differences from the Siluroids, Cy- 

 prinodontes and Clupeoids, with which it has more or less affinity, 

 real or supposed. Prof. Cope in his paper on the Classification of 

 Fishes j places the Arnblyopsis in the order of Haplomi with the 

 shore minnows, pickerel and mud fish, and in an article on the Wy- 

 andotte Cave, he says that the Cyprinodontes (shore minnows) 

 are its nearest allies. This arrangement by Prof. Cope places 

 the Haplomi between the order containing the herrings and that 

 containing the electric eel of South America, all included with the 

 garpike, dog fish of the fresh waters (Amia), cat fishes, suckers 

 and eels proper, etc., etc., in the division of Physostomi as limited 

 by him. 



*From the advanced po^iti >n of the terminus of the intestine being so different from 

 the position wliich it has in ordinary fishes. 



t Synopsis of the Fishes of North America, published in 1846. 



J American Naturalist, Vol. 5, p. 579, 1871. 



Indianapolis Daily Journal of September 5, 1871. Reprinted in Ann. Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., Nov., 1871. 



