175 



MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 

 7 specimens. No. 780. j ? . Adults. Mamfnoth Cave.- Collected and pre- 



sented by Alpheus Hyatt, Sept., 1859. 



1 specimen. No. 781. Moulton, Alabama. Presented by Thomas Peters 

 1 specimen. No. 782. Lebanon, Tennessee. Presented by J. M. Safford. 



Other specimens. Dr. Girard described the species from a specimen 

 in the Smithsonian Institution, taken from a well near Bowling Green, 

 Ky. Dr. Gunther mentions a specimen, in the British Museum, from 

 the Mammoth Cave. 



Habits. Nothing is known concerning the habits of this fish. It is 

 evidently much rarer at the Mammoth Cave than the large species, to 

 judge from the small number in collections. The fact that Mr. Hyatt 

 obtained seven specimens when he was at the cave in September and 

 did not get any of the other species, may indicate some peculiar loca- 

 tion in the waters of the cave where it is more abundant than in other 

 places. The eggs were fully developed in these specimens, but no 

 embryos could be detected. The fish is probably viviparous, and 

 very likely gives birth to its young in October. 



Chologaster AGASSIZ, Amer. Jour. Sci., xvi, p. 135, 1853. 



Eyes in normal position and well developed. 



Head with small granulations on the surface of the skin. (No 

 papillary ridges.) 



Teeth minute, curved and arranged in rows on the intermaxillary 

 and inferior maxillary bones. None on the palatines in the adults 

 (Of the four specimens examined, the two larger (C. cornutus') are 

 without palatine teeth, while the single specimen of C. Agassizii, 

 which is evidently a young fish, has a few minute teeth on the pala- 

 tine bones. In the smallest specimen of C. cornutus the mouth is 

 abnormal, the intermaxillaries being reduced to a small central portion 

 and there are consequently no teeth in the upper jaw, but the minute 

 teeth on the palatines are present.*) 



* I believe this is one of those interesting cases where one set of organs, or one 

 portion of the animal structure, takes the place of another which from accident is 

 wanting, and that in all probability these palatine teeth, that under normal con- 

 ditions would be cast off as the fish attained maturity, would have continued to 

 exist in this specimen and answer all the purposes of the intermaxillary teeth. 

 But that in this accidental continuance of these palatine teeth, from the mere 

 mechanical use forced upon them, we have the first stages of the development of 

 a distinct genus, to be characterized by permanent teeth on the palatines, and _ 

 reduced upper jaw bones, as many of the developmental school would argue, I do 

 not think will bear the test of facts observed. 



A not uncommon malformation of fishes consists in the entire or partial absence 

 of the maxillary or intermaxillary bones. I have specially noticed this among our 



