Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 667 



somewhat enlarged. Ventrals absent. Branchiostegals five. Both upper 

 and lower pharyngeals greatly enlarged and bearing molar teeth, tuber- 

 cular in shape ; lower pharyngeals firmly attached to the ceratobranchials 

 of the fourth arch, while the massive epibranchials of the same arch 

 serve to connect them firmly at the sides with the pharyngobranchials 

 above ; fourth branchial arch bearing normal gills, its median portion 

 produced anteriorly, forming a triangular extension of the lower pharyn- 

 gealp in the middle line ; on the oral surface this is indistinguishable 

 from the pharyngeals proper, and like them bears molar teeth. Scales 

 normal, large, regularly imbricated, nowhere tubercular or ridged. This 

 genus seems to be allied to Orestias, a genus likewise devoid of ventral 

 fins, inhabiting the mountain lakes of the Andes. It diifers from Orestias, 

 as from all other Cyprinodonts, in the singular development of the pharyn- 

 geals. (n>, within ; vrerpof , rock ; Ixtfv?, fish, in allusion to the stony 

 pharyngeals.) 



980. EMPETRICHTHYS MEBRIAMI, Gilbert. 



Head 3 ; depth 3; eye 5. D. 11 or 12 (13 in one specimen); A. 14 

 (from 13 to 15). Scales 30 or 31, counted to base of caudal rays, 33 

 or 34 in all. Head compressed, its upper surface slightly convex. Mouth 

 very oblique, with a distinct lateral cleft, the maxillary free at tip only, 

 reaching slightly behind front of eye. Length of gape (measured from 

 tip of snout to end of maxillary) 3i in head; interorbital width 2; 

 length of snout (from front of orbit to middle of upper jaw) 3f. Eye 

 small, its greatest oblique diameter 5 to 5i in head. Distance from front 

 of dorsal to middle of base of tail i its distance from tip of snout. 

 Dorsal beginning slightly in advance of anal, and ending above its 

 posterior third, its greatest height equal to length of snout and eye; 

 caudal truncate when spread ; pectorals broadly rounded, reaching half 

 way to vent. Color dark brown above, sides and below lighter, often 

 irregularly blotched with brown and white ; the belly often appears 

 checkered, having centers of scales brown and margins white, or the 

 reverse; fins all dusky, the basal portions of dorsal and caudal with 

 elongated brown spots on the interradial membranes. In form and gen- 

 eral appearance this singular fish much resembles the mud minnow 

 ( Umbra limi), though somewhat deeper and more compressed. Springs of 

 the desert about Death Valley in eastern California, a depressed desert 

 tract, intensely hot and almost rainless. (Named for Dr. C. Hart Mer- 

 riarn, the well-known mammalogist, in charge of the Death Valley 

 explorations.) 



Empctrichtkys merrianu, GILBERT, Death Valley Exped., Fishes, in North American Fauna, No. 7, 

 234, pi. 5, May 31, 1893, Ash Meadows, Amargosa Desert, on the boundary between 

 California and Nevada. (Type, No. 46,101. Coll. Merriaui & Bailey.) 



306. CHARACODON, Giinther. 



Characodon, GATHER, Cat., vi, 308, 1866, (laleralis). 



Body rather deep and compressed. Gill openings restricted, as in 

 Cyprinodon.* Mouth small, the teeth small, fixed, bicuspid, or Y-shaped, 



* This character not verified in Characodon laleralis or C. furcidens. 



