SEXUAL SELECTION 



439 



Lloyd" remarks, "for any one who has not deen this fish 

 during the spawning season, when its hues are brightest, 

 to conceive the admixture of brilliant colors with which 

 it, in other respects so ill-favored, is at that time adorned." 

 Both sexes of the Lalrus mixtus, although very different in 

 color, are beautiful ; the male being orange with bright blue 

 stripes, and the female bright red with some black spots on 

 the back. 



In the very distinct family of the CyprinodontidEe— in- 

 habitants of the fresh waters of foreign lands — the sexes 



Fio /).— Xiphophorus Hellerii. Upper figure, male; lower figure, female. 



sometiues differ much in various characters. In the male 

 of the Mollienesia petenensis," the dorsal fin is greatly de- 

 veloped and is marked with a row of large, round, ocellated, 

 bright-colored spots; while the same fin in the female is 

 smaller, of a different shape, and marked only with irregu- 

 larly curved brown spots. In the male, the basal margin 



" "Game Birds of Sweden," etc., 1811, p. 466. 



" With respect to this and the following species I am indebted to Dr. 

 Giinther for information : see also his paper on the "Fishes of Central America, " 

 to "Transact. Zoolog. Soc," vol. vi., 1868, p, 485. 



