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In Jordan and Evermann’s “Fishes of 
North America” (Pt. I, pp. 698-701) we 
find four species of the genus Mollien- 
isia described, but none of them are fig- 
ured in the work; as a matter of fact, I 
do not recall a good figure of any of 
these forms. The genus was originally 
described by Le Sueur, and named for 
the French Minister of Finance, Mollien, 
who was associated with Le Sueur in his 
scientific work, and who, too, was a pa- 
tron of Peron’s. Two of the species are 
found in Mexico, another at Lake Peten 
(Gunther), and the fourth, M. lati- 
pimna, occurs in enormous numbers in 
lowland swamps and streams from South 
Carolina, round the Gulf Coast to North- 
ern Mexico. Recently Mr. Edward S. 
Schmid, of Washington, D. C., has im- 
ported a large number of them from New 
Orleans, and through his kindness I have 
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Mollienisia Latipinna | 
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| 6 Pa Ps Os 
Notes on 
DR Reo We ShiUFELD IG Me Zs: 
9 68 6 9 SP 6 9 9 ns Pl 6 9 a a | 
Male specimen of Mollienisia latipinna; natural size 
Reproduction of a photograph from life by the author 
a te 
been enabled to photograph several of 
these beautiful fishes alive. One of these 
photographs—that of a fine male—is here 
reproduced to illustrate my article. Jor- 
dan gives a good account of the charac- 
ters of Mollienisia latipinna, describing 
the great beauty of the male, the female 
being considerably smaller, and very 
plainly colored. He says: ‘The male, a 
fish of remarkable beauty. It often enters 
the sea, the gorgeous dorsal fin of the 
male being conspicuous in the shallow 
water about the wharves at Pensacola.” 
The markings of the male are well shown 
in my figure; the principal colors are 
bright lavender, brilliant orange, black 
and white. 
Many years ago I saw thousands of 
specimens of this species in the very shal- 
low pools connecting with the bayous 
south of New Orleans, La.; they were 
