FAMILY CYPRINID.E — LEI5IAS. 215 



L. caurinus. (Richardson, F. B. A. p. 304.) Moderately compressed. Scales orbicular ; seventy- 

 five on the lateral line, twenty-four in a vertical line. Caudal dieply forked. D. 10; A. 9. Length 

 121 inches. Columbia River. 



L. orcgoncnsis. (Id. lb. p. 305.) Brownish grey; belly silvery white. .More elongated than the 

 preceding ; head longer. Length thirteen inches. Columbia River. 



< irnus PfficiLiA, Sch/icidcr. Body little elongated. Jaws flattened, protractile, and but slightly cleft, 



with a .single row of very small teeth. Opercles large, five-rayed. Dorsal above the anal. 

 P. multilincata. (Lesuebr, Ac. Sc. Vol. 2, pi. 1.) Compressed. Several longitudinal series of black 



spots. Dorsal small, longer than high. Caudal straight. D. 14; A. 9 ; C 26. Length one and 



a half inehrs. Florida. 



• GENUS LEBIAS. Cumer. 

 With iiuiny of the characters of the preceding. Teeth denticulated. Branchial rays five. 



THE SHEEPSHEAD LEBIAS. 



LeBIA.'S OVINUS. 



PL.\TE XXVII. FIG. 84. 



The Sheejishead Kilhlish, Esox (nituis. MlTCHILL, Lit. and Phil. Soc. Vol. 1, p. 441, pi. 4, fig. 7 

 (^yprinodon ovtmis. Valenciennes, apud Huinbuidt, Obs. Zoo!. Vol. 2. 



Characteristics. Elliptical, compressed, with transverse stripes or spots occasionallv obsolete. 

 Extremity of the tail pellucid. 



Description. Body mucli compressed : its greatest depth equalling one-half of the length of 

 the body and tail. Scales large, subquadrate, longest in their vertical diameter, rounded and 

 entire on their free edges ; at their radical edge, straight, with parallel horizontal stria; ; on the 

 summit of the head, a central scale, with its entire margin free. The scales extend over the 

 cheeks, form an imperfect sheath for the dorsal, and extend far up the caudal fin, giving that 

 pellucid appearance noted in the specific phrase. A large plate or bony scale above the base 

 of the pectoral fin. Lateral line scarcely obvious. The head slopes rapidly down from before 

 the dorsal fin, and is much flattened between the eyes, which are distant. Nostrils contiguous 

 to the orbit. A number of mucous pores about the head and beneath tlie jaws. C)pcrcular 

 margin entire, rounded. Branchial ray.s five, .laws protractile, with from sixteen to eighteen 

 tricuspid teeth in each jaw. 



The dorsal fin high and rounded, with eleven nearly subequal branched rays, and termi- 

 nating ewer the commencement of the anal rays. Pectorals pointed, placed low on the body, 

 with its middle rays longest, and extending to the seventh dorsal ray. Ventrals very feeble, 

 of seven very closely applied rays, with their tips extending to the anal. Anal iin higher than 

 long. Caudal fin broad and short, nearly even ; its margin slightly excavated. 



