FAMILY CYPRINIDiE — FUNDULUS. 217 



body. Pectorals broad and pointed. Ventrals small ; their tips reaching nearly to the vent. 

 Anal long, placed under the posterior part of the dorsal. Caudal oblong, rounded. 



Color. Dusky greenish on the back ; darker on the head above. Sides brassy yellow tinged 

 ■ with green, becoming lighter beneath. Along the sides are faint indications of dusky bars, 

 which, on the tail, become distinctly marked black bars, or lines of interrupted black dots. 

 There are also from two to five irregular longitudinal dusky stripes of various lengths ; more 

 usually two short interrupted stripes, and two longer continuous stripes, which usually stop 

 short near the distinct caudal bars. Dorsal and anal with numerous white dots. 



Length, 1-0 - 3-0. 



Fin rays, D. 14 ; P. 15 ; V. 6 ; A. 11 : C. 23. 



This little fish presents much variety in its markings : the transverse bars on the sides of 

 the body are frequently obsolete ; the stripes are irregular and often obsolete, their places 

 being indicated by dots or abbreviated lines. In all the specimens which I have seen, the 

 black bars across the tail were always persistent, and this is perhaps its most striking charac- 

 teristic. 



This species abounds in all our salt-water creeks and bays. Its popular name is derived 

 frcjjn its abundance in creeks and estuaries, which our Dutch ancestors termed " kills." It is 

 used merely as bait for other iishes. From the similarity of name, I should almost be inclined 

 to suspect this to be the Cohitis .maialis of Schneider, which is cited by Valenciennes as a 

 synonime of his Cyprinodon jlavulus . 



THE BIG KILLIFISH. 



FuNDULns TIRIDESCE.NS. 

 PLATE XXXI. FIG. 99. 



Killfish. ScHCEPFF, Beobachtungen der Natuiforsch. cS:c. Vol. 8, p. 172. 



Characteristics. Greenish above ; pale beneath, without stripes or bars. Caudal nearly even, 

 rounded. Length 3-5 inches. 



Desc7-iption. Body elongate, cylindrical, flattened above, and much compressed on the sides 

 of the tail. Scales large, orbicular, with strongly impressed concentric strise ; very large on 

 the head, extending to the end of the snout, and covering the opercles. A central one on the 

 summit of the head, with its entire margin free. Lateral line obscure. Head very small, 

 flattened above. Eyes large, distant. Nostrils form an oblong slit just anterior to the orbits, 

 and in a line with their upper margin. Several mucous pores about the head and along the 

 base of the preopercle. Mouth small, protractile, with a somewhat vertical aspect. A single 

 row of long slender crowded subequal and slightly recurved teeth in front on the lower jaw, 

 and several series of minute teeth behind ; a similar disposition in the upper jaw. Two round 

 patches of blunt teeth in the pharynx. 



Fauna — Part 4. 28 



