CYPRINODONTID^E. XXXVII. 83 



a. Eyes rudimentary, concealed under the skin ; body colorless ; one pyloric 

 caecum. 



b. Ventrals present, small AMBLYOPSIS, 85. 



bb. Ventrals entirely wanting TYPHLICHTHYS, 86. 



aa. Eyes well developed ; body colored; no ventrals; two pyloric caeca. 



CHOLOGASTER, 87. 



85. AMBLYOPSIS DeKay. (a/z,3Xvf, obtuse; o^ts, vision. 



196. A. spelaeus DeKay. BLIND FISH OF THE MAMMOTH 

 CAVE. Head 3 ; depth 4^ ; D. and A. equal, well developed ; head 

 and body with papillary ridges ; scales small; colorless. D. 10. A. 

 9. V. 4. P. 11. L. 2 to 5. Subterranean streams of Ky. and 

 Ind., Mammoth Cave, etc. (Lat., living in caves.) 



" If the Amblyopses be not alarmed, they come to the surface to feed, and 

 swim in full sight, like white aquatic ghosts. They are then easily taken by 

 the hand or net if perfect silence be preserved, for they are unconscious of the 

 presence of an enemy except through the sense of hearing. This sense is 

 however very acute; for at any noise, they turn suddenly and hide beneath 

 stones at the bottom. They take much of their food near the surface, as the 

 life of the depths is apparently very sparse. This habit is rendered very easy 

 by the structure of the fish, for the mouth is directed upwards, and the head 

 is very flat above, thus allowing the mouth to be at the surface." (Cope.) 



86. TYPHLICHTHYS Girard. (rv<t>\6s, blind; i x g , fish.) 



197. T. subterraneus Girard. General character of A. 

 spelceus, but the head rather blunter and broader forwards; the 

 mouth smaller. D. 8. A. 8. P. 12. L. 2. Caves and wells in Ky., 

 Tenn., Ala. ; as common as the preceding, of which it is perhaps a 

 variation. 



87. CHOLOGASTER Agassiz. (xo>Aoy, maimed; yao-rfip, belly.) 



198. C. agassizii Putnam. Eyes large; uniform light brown; 

 fins speckled. P. a little more than half way to D. Head 4 ; 

 depth 4. D. 9. A. 9. L. 1^. Subterranean streams in Tenn. 

 and Ky. A closely related species (C. cornutus Ag.), is known 

 from a rice-ditch in S. C. (For Louis Agassiz.) 



199. C. papilliferus Forbes. Yellowish brown, dark above; 

 sides with three dark streaks, the middle streak pale behind head ; 

 C. dark, with cross-rows of white specks ; eye small, 6 in head, 

 above and well behind maxillary ; P. reaching half way to D. ; body 

 with tactile papillary ridges. Head 3. L. 1 inch. Cave spring, 

 Union Co., 111. (Lat., bearing papillce.) 



FAMILY XXXVII. CYPRINODONTID^J. (THE KILLI- 



FI8HES.) 



Body oblong, depressed in front, more or less compressed be- 

 hind, covered with adherent cycloid scales; no lateral line; head 

 scaly ; mouth small, terminal, extremely protractile ; the edge of 



