17G FISIIF.S. 



whole series of vertebrated animals. In tlie next place, the organs of 

 generation, and the bladder in the male, have their excretory duct in the 

 anterior edge of the anal fin, which is large, long, and covered with scales; 

 its extremity is perforated, and, no doubt, is subservient to copulation. 

 The female is viviparous, and the young are considerably advanced in 

 growth at the moment of their birth. 



The body of these fishes is cylindrical, covered with stout scales, it has 

 five rays in the branchiuj, the head flattened, the snout truncated, and the 

 mouth transversely cleft at its extremity; both jaws are armed with small 

 and crowded teeth; the intermaxillaries have no pedicle, and are suspend- 

 ed under the nasal bones which form the anterior edge of the snout; the 

 greater part of the pectorals is scaly, and there is a small dorsal on the 

 tail, and farther backwards than the anal. The pharyngeal bones are 

 large, and furnished with very small globular teeth ; the natatory bladder 

 is very large, and their intestine ample, but without caeca. 



But a single species is known ; the Anableps tetrophtabnus, Bl. 

 361 ; Cobitis anableps, L. ; it inhabits the rivers of Guiana. 



PcECiLiA, Schn., 



Have the two jaws horizontally flattened, protractile, slightly cleft, and 

 furnished with a row of extremely small and very fine teeth ; top of the 

 head flat; tjie opercula large; five rays in the branchiae; the body but 

 little elongated, the ventrals not far back, and the dorsal above the anal. 

 Small viviparous fishes from the rivers of America*. The 



Lebias, Cuv. 

 Resemble the Pcecilia, except that their teeth are dentated. 



A species is found in Sardinia, the Poecilia calaritana, Bonnellij , 

 a very small fish marked on the flanks with little black streaks. 



FuNDULUS, Lacep. 



The Fundules are allied in many particulars to the Pcecilia; but their 

 teeth are small and crov>ded, and those of the anterior row hooked; 

 tolerably stout conical ones are found in the pharynx; there are but four 

 rays in the branchia3;J:. The 



MoLiNiisiA, Lesuevr, 

 Are distinguished by the position of their anal between the ventrals and 



* Pcecilia Schneideri, Val., or P. vivipara, Schn. 86, 2; — P. muHUineata, Lesueur, 

 Journ. Ac. Nat. So. of Philad. 1821, pi. \;—P. unhnacula, Val. App. Humb. Zool. 

 Obs. II, pi. 11, f. 2;— P. mrinamensis, Id. lb. f. 1. 



f Add, Ltbias ellipso'idea, Lesueur, op. cit. 1821, pi. ii, f. 1 and 3; — Leb. rhom- 

 bo'idalis, Val. App. Humb. Znol. Obs. II, jjl. li, 3;—Leb.fusciafa, Id. 11). 4. 



X Fund. c(cnicohts, Val., or Cobitis hctiiocIiCa, Lin., or Pcecilia ccenicola, Sclm.; 

 Mudfish of Schoepf. ;—/««(/. fasciutus, Val. loe. cit. LI II, I, or Pcecilia fasciafa, 

 Schn., or Esox piscieulus, Mitch., of which his Eso.r zonutus, or Htjdrargyre swam- 

 pine, Lacep. V, 319, is the young, hut the fig. V. 3, is another species;— P«»(f. brasi- 

 liemis, Val. loc. cit. LI I, 2. 



