THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 183 



The fish also have a certain amount of power to change their color 

 Those in aquaria will thus be seen to fade or grow darker to a 

 considerable degree at times. In the Wading River they were 

 found only in the sphagnum growing along the banks in the more 

 sheltered places, or away from the currents. Here they may be 

 taken in a small dip-net. They wriggle continually, or suddenly 

 remain quiet for a short interval, the small ones in this respect 

 strongly suggesting the dusky salamander (Desinognathus 

 fusca) . The resemblance is still further suggested by their simi- 

 lar dark color. In fact, the extremely dark color, almost blackish, 

 was noticeable in all the examples caught, though of course the 

 notes above will show the various tints assumed when out of the 

 water and dying. 



Melanura pygmcua Baird, 9th An. Rep. Smiths. Inst., 1854, p. 

 342. — Jordan, An. N. Y. Acad. Sici., T, 1879, P- I04- 



Umbra pygmcca Bean, Bull. U. S. F. Com., VII, 1887, p. 

 147. — Cope, Am. Nat., XXX, 1896, p. 943. 



Melanura annulata Abbott, Proc. Atad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, 



P- 95- 



Melanura limi Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 820. — Abbott, Am. 

 Nat., IV, 1870, p. 107. — Abbott, 1. c, pp. 386, 388. — Abbott, 

 Rep. U. S. F. Com., 1875-76, p. 845. • 



Umbra limi Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1883, p. 132. — 

 Abbott, Nat. Rambles, 1885, p. 478. 



Family PCECILIID^. 



The Killi Fishes. 



Body oblong or moderately elongate, compressed behind, de- 

 pressed forward. Head usually broad. Mouth terminal, small, 

 lower jaw usually projecting and margin of upper formed by 

 premaxillaries only. Premaxillaries strong and extremely pro- 

 tractile. Teeth incisor-like or villiform, sometimes present on 

 vomer, but usually in jaws only. Gill-membranes somewhat con- 

 nected, free from isthmus. Gill-rakers very short, thick. Pseu- 

 dobranchise none. Branchiostegals 4 to 6. Lower pharyngeals 

 separate, with cardiform, or rarly molar, teeth. Third upper 



