282 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



years since into this country, and is now extensively known among us. It thrives in 

 quite a number of ponds in the neighborhood of Boston, connected with country- 

 seats, bearing well the rigors of our winters, and breeding freely. This species varies 

 exceedingly in its appearance in different individuals. Yarrell, in his " History of 

 British Fishes," observes : " M. de Sauvigny, in his Ilistoire Naturelle des Borades de 

 la Chine, published at Paris in 1780, has given colored representations of eighty-nine 

 varieties of the Carp, exhibiting almost every possible shade or combination of silver, 

 brilliant orange, and purple." It is a very common circumstance to observe an 

 abnormal condition of one or more of the fins in this fish. Yarrell says : '' These fishes 

 are sometimes seen with double anal fins, and others with triple tails ; when this 

 occurs, it is generally at the expense of the whole or part of some other fin : thus the 

 specimens with triple tails are frequently without any portion of the dorsal fin, and 

 such specimens have been figured by Bloch and others. Among two dozen Gold-fish 

 for sale in London, were some with dorsal fins extending more than half the length of 

 the back ; some, on the contrary, had dorsal fins of five or six rays only, and one 

 specimen without any dorsal fin whatever." 

 Massachusetts, Stoker. New York, Dekat. 



GENUS IL LEUCOSOMUS, Heck. 



Body very much compressed, flattened laterally, and deepest at the middle of its 

 length. Head proportionally small, and compressed like the body. Mouth small, 

 terminal, unprovided with cirrhi or barbels of any kind. Eyes very large. Caudal fin 

 forked. Body covered with large scales appearing higher than long when observed 

 imbricated, but which are in fact as long as high and even longer than high when 

 examined in an isolated state. Lateral line forming a very open curve upon the 

 abdomen, convex downwards. Dorsal and anal fins without strong and spiny rays at 

 their anterior margins. Insertion of ventrals in advance of the anterior margin 

 of the dorsal. Pharyngeal teeth conical, pointed, and slightly curved at tip, and 

 disposed upon a double row. 



This genus is allied to H^psolepis, from which it differs by its flattened body, 

 small head and mouth, the shape of its scales, and the insertion of the ventral 

 nns. 



