SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



147 



In some specimens 1.25 inches long (taken July 25, 1900) the vertical bars have 

 begun to fade, and the longitudinal stripes have appeared; the smallest male in 

 this lot in which the dorsal ocellus is visible is 2 inches long. In this and other 

 lots, there are males 2.25 inches' long in which the ocellus has not appeared. 

 Either the rate of growth is very irregular or the spawning time is protracted, as 

 a lot of young fish seined in Beaufort Harbor July 25, 1900, varied from .5 to 2.5 

 inches in length. 



Fig. 51 May-fish. Fundidus majcdis. Female. 



124. FUNDULUS HETEROOLITUS (Linnaeus). 

 "Minnow"; Mud-fish; Mummicliog. 



Cobitis heteroclita Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, ed. xii, 500, 1766; Charleston, South Carolina. 

 Fwndulus piaculentua. Yarrow, 1877, 214; Beaufort Harbor, 



Fundulue heteroditus , Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 384; Beaufort Harbor. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort. Jordan 

 & Evermann, 1896, 640, pi. cii, fig. 273. Linton, 1905, 356; Beaufort. 



Fig. 52. Mud-fish. Fundidus heteroditus. Male. 



Diagnosis. — ^Body rather short and deep, but Uttle compressed, depth rather more than 

 .25 length; head rather short and blunt, its length contained 3 to 3.5 times in total length; 

 mouth small, very obUque; teeth pointed, in bands; eye .2 to .25 length of head, equal to snout 

 and .5 width of interorbital space; scales in lateral series 35 to 38, in transverse series 13 to 15; 

 dorsal rays 11; anal rays 10 or 11, oviduct attached to first ray; caudal fin rounded. Color: 

 Male, dark green above, yellow on belly; sides with narrow vertical silvery white bars, between 

 which are numerous small, irregular whitish or yeUow spots; head yellow below; vertical fins 



