SCOMBEOIDES.— CICHLID^. 15 



The American species belong to the subgenus Oligoplites, Gill, with 4 or 5 dorsal 

 spines and linear scales. They are six in number, viz. : S. saurus, Bl. Schn. ; 

 S. refulgens, Gilb. & Starks ; S. alius, Gthr. ; S. mimdus, Jord. & Starks ; 8. saliens, 

 Bl. ; and S. palometa, C. & V. 



The first-named appears to be identical on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts ; the next 

 three are known from the Pacific Coast only. S. saliens is an Atlantic species and 

 Pacific records of it should be referred to S. mundus. 



1. Scombroides palometa. 



Chorinemus palometa, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. viii. p. 392 (1831) \ 



Chorinemus saliens, var. palometa, Glinth. Cat. Fisli. ii. p. 475 (1860) ^ 



OUgoplites saliens palometa, Jord. & Everm. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. xlvii. 1896^ p. 899'. 



Depth of body 3| in the length, length of head 4|. Snout as long as eye, the diameter of which is 4| in 

 the length of head, interorbital width 3-^. Maxillary extending slightly beyond the vertical from the 

 posterior margin of eye. 12 gill-rakers on the lower part of anterior arch. Dorsal IV, I 19. Anal II, 

 I 20. Pectoral | the length of head. Least depth of caudal peduncle | the length of head. Silvery, 

 back brownish ; dorsal dusky, other fins yellowish. 



Ilah. Guatemala, Lake Yzabal (Salvin). — Venezqela, Lake Maracaibo ^ ^. 



Here described from a specimen of 280 mm. from Lake Maracaibo. There is a 

 small example (90 mm.) from Lake Yzabal in the British Museum. This species has 

 not yet been recorded from other localities, but probably enters the sea. 



Fam. 5. CICHLID^. 



This large family of fresh-water fishes is the dominant perciform group in Tropical 

 America and Africa. In America the Cichlidse extend from Texas to Argentina, and 

 comprise about 150 species, which may be grouped into twenty-three genera. Africa 

 appears to be somewhat richer in both genera and species, whilst a single genus with 

 three representatives occurs in India and Ceylon. 



The study of the relationships of the American genera is of considerable interest in 

 connection with their geographical distribution, and leaves no room for doubt that the 

 Mexican and Central-American Cichlid fauna originated with immigrants from the 

 southern continent. The fact that the most generalized South-American genus Acara 

 is scarcely generically distinct from the African Paratilapia is also important, and, 

 seeing that there is no reason to believe that the Cichlids have ever been other than a 

 fresh-water group, it lends support to the theory of a land-connection between South 

 America and Africa in Eocene times. 



I have recently monographed the American Cichlidge, and, except where some 

 amplification or alteration is necessary, a list of the species only, with keys for their 

 identification, is here given. 



