Proceedings of the United States National Museum

DESCRIPTIONS OP NEW AND LITTLE KNOWN ETHEOSTOMOIDS.

By

CHA.<^. H.

OILBERT.

The

present paper is occupied chietl}^ with the descriptiou of

new

Etheostomoidscollected during the

summer

of 1884,in the course of a

series of explorations of streams of the South and Southwest, under- taken in the interestsof the U. S. National

Museum. The

writer

was

associated withProf.Joseph

Swain

in field

work

inIndiana, Kentucky, Tennessee,

and Alabama

; with Prof. _S. E.

Meek

in Southwestern Missouri; and with Prof. D. S. Jordanin

Arkansas and

Texas.

Types of all of the

new

species here characterized

have

been de- posited inthe National

Museum,

their

numbers

on the

Museum

register beingcited atthe beginningof the descriptions.

The

species described

come

under the current genera TJlocentra^

Cottogaster, Hadroptenis, Bhothceca, Etheostoma,

and

Alvarius. It is

notbelieved that these

now

admit of satisfactory genericcharacteriza- tion, and they are here recognized as convenient subgeneric divisions only. Characters based in this group on the protractilityor nonpro- tractilityof the i^remaxillaries, the union ornon-union of the branch- iostegal membranes, and the completeness or incompleteness of the lateral line,

may

indicate real affinity, but Ithink

we

are hardly pre- paredto insist that they always

and

ofnecessity

must

do so.

What

are apparently geographicalvarieties have been describedin ordertocall attention to them. Their claimto subspecific rank can- notbeestablisheduntil further exploration shall have determinedthe limitsof variation within thespecies.

The

entire question of therec- ognitionof subspecies

among

theEtheostomoids

must

for the present be treated as an open one.

1. Etheostoma(Ulocentra) histrioJordan

&

Gilbert, sp. uov. 36386, 36409, 36448.

In form

much

resemblingEtheostomazonale, but the

body

slenderer

and

less compressed,

and

theanterior profile of head

more

declivous, the

mouth

being on a level with lower portion of base of pectorals.

Mouth

small,horizontal, subinferior,thelowerjawincluded; maxillary reaching vertical from frontof pupil, 3^in head.

Eye

rather large, high

up

on sidesof head, its diameter

much

greater than length of snout, 3 in head. Interorbital width half vertical diameterof orbit.

Parietal region narrow, smooth, rather strongly' arched. Opercular spine littledeveloped. Gill-membranes broadly joined across tlieisth-

mus. Premaxillaries technically ijrotractile, the upper lip everywhere separated

by

a foldfrom the skin of the forehead; they are, however, very little movable.

Vertical fins small, the paired fins greatly developed. Spinous

and

soft dorsals separate, nearly equalin height

and

extent; the longest

48 DESCRIPTIONS OF ETHEOSTOMOIDS.

dorsalspinehalflength of head, the spinesallslender

and

weak. First anal spine longer

and

stronger than the second, slightlylonger than snont. Caudal fin emarginate, less than length of head. Pectorals

much

longer thanhead, reaching

beyond

tipsof ventrals to vent, their length nearly one-third that of body. Ventrals aboutas long as head.

Scalesctenoid_; lateral line complete, not decurved; headnaked, or witha fewscaleson opercles^,• nape completely scaled; breast,

and

a longstrip behind ventral fins,naked, theposteriorhalfonly of ventral region scaledover.

No

enlargedhumeral scale.

Head,

4to4r|inlength; depth, 5to5^. Lat. 1. 50 to 54,5Jseries be- tween ^it

and

baseof spinous dorsal. D.

X-13;

A. II,7. L.If^inches.

Color:

Body

very dark green; back with 7 light cross-bars usually verydistinct; ventral regionlight,the lower half ofsides

marked

with light

and

dark greenish, these markings showing a tendencyto form bars usually alternating with those on back.

Top

of head dark, the sides light greenish; abroad darkbar fromeyeto tip ofsnout,one be- loweye,

and

a broad

dusky

areacovering parts of opercle, preopercle,

and

cheek.

A

dark barinfrontof pectoralfins,

and

severaltransverse seriesof dark spots on

under

side of head. Fins all conspicuously

marked

withbroadbars oflight

and dusky

greenish.

A

blackhumeral spot. Males showUraces of this plan of coloration, but are

more

uni- formly

dusky

greenish,*the lighter markings

much

lessconspicuous.

Abundant

in thePoteauRiver,nearHackett City, Ark.

Found

also in the SalineRiveratBenton,Ark.,

and

in the

Washita

Riverat Arka- delphia.

2. Etheostoma(Cottogaster) uranidea Jordan

&

Gilbert,sp.uov. 36413.

Allied toEtheostomashumardi.

Form

elongate,terete, very little compressed; upper profile gently arched, the lower almost straight; caudal peduncle short

and

very slender; upper profile of

head

descending in a long gentle curve to the sharp snout.

Mouth

terminal,nearly horizontal, the lower

jaw

in-

cluded_; premaxillaries on a level with lower margin of orbit; maxil- laryreaching

beyond

verticalfrom frontoforbit,3|in head.

Premax-

illaries protractile,thefoldverynarrow.

Eye

equaling length of snout,

3|- in head, nearly twice interorbital width in a specimen 2 inches long. Opercular spine well developed; preopercular margin entire.

Parietal region rather broad, depressed, thebones rugose. Gill-mem- branes very slightly joined at base.

Cheeks

mostly naked; opercles closely scaled. Breast naked, or with afew scattered scales. Paired

fins rathersmall, the vertical finslongbut rather high.

Membrane

of

first dorsal not joining baseof second. Longest dorsal spineabout equaling distancefrom tip of snoutto middleof orbit; soft rays half as long as head. Caudal fin deeply emarginate.

Anal

spines very short, aboutequalin size, as long as diameterof orbit. Softrays of anal high, the fin rather larger than second dorsal. Pectorals

and

1887.]

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. ₄₉

reafcralsshort,reaching about the

same

vertical, not nearly to vent length of pectorals nearly equal to head.

Scales of moderate size; nape completely invested; a wide

naked

stripon each side median line of belly, the latter containing asingle seriesof thin, elongate, plates, weakly spinous on posterior margins;

lateral linecomplete, parallel with outline of back.

Head, _3J to 3f ⁱⁿ length; depth, _5|. D. XI-13; A. II, 10 or 11.

Lateralline48 to 56,6^ series between pores

and

dorsalfin.

Colorin spirits: Greenish olive,rendered

dusky

on upper parts by.

black specks,which

become

large

and

very conspicuous ontopofhead, opercles,

and

sides of snout.

Four

conspicuous dark cross-bars, nar- rower than interspaces,

downward and

forward from back to lateral line: thefirstfromanteriordorsalspines,thesecond fromspacebetween dorsals, the third from posterior half of soft dorsal, the fourth from caudal peduncle.

A

seriesof about 11

dusky

blotches on sidesimme- diately below lateral line.

A

black bar before, one below,

and

one behind eye; the one below eye very distinct. Dorsals, pectorals,

and

caudal barred with light

and

dark; ventrals

and

anal plain. In life,

the colors were similar, there beingnodistinct blue, red, or green.

Several specimens,varying from _1^to3 inches in length,from

Wash-

ita Eiver atArkadelphia, Ark.

3. Etheostoma(Hadropterus) ouachitae Jordan

&

Gilbert,sp. uov. 36449.

Body

elongate, slender, comparativelylittle compressed, in general contour

much

resembling E. uranidea.

Head

slender, the snout not blunt,the upperprofiledescendinginalong gentlecurve.

Mouth

mod- erate, narrow; premaxillaries ona levelwith lower part of orbit, non- protractile; lower

jaw

included; gape nearly horizontal; maxillary reaching vertical from frontof orbit, its length slightly greater than snout,

U

^inhead.

Eye

equaling _snout, 3f ^{in head.} Gill-membranes scarcely joined across isthmus.

Fins of moderate size; longest dorsal spine 2i in head, the longest soft ray

more

than half head; anal spines short

and

weak, the two nearlyequal, their length equaling diameterof orbit. Caudal emar- ginate. Pectorals reaching tooppositetipsofventrals, aslong as head.

Scales moderate,rough; lateralline complete,straight; opercles

and

nape scaled; cheeks smooth,

naked

or covered with

imbedded

scales;

breast naked. Middle of belly naked, without series of enlarged plates in our specimens.

An

enlarged spinous scale between bases of ventral fins.

Head

4in length; depth 6^; D.

XI

orXII, 13; A. II, 10. Lateral Ime₅₂to 56; 6 series ofscales betweenlateral line

and

base of spinous dorsal.

Length

2inches.

Color_: Olivaceous,back

more

orlesstessellatedwithdark brownish, themargins of thescales dusky. Fiveratherfaintdark bars fromthe back

downward and

forward to lateral line: the first under frontof

Proc. IST. M. 87 4

50 DESCRIPTIOXS OF ETHEOSTOMOIDS.

spinous dorsal

and

the second underitslastrays, the thirdunder mid- dleof soft dorsal

and

the fourth immediately behind it, the fifth a

mere

cross-blotch on back of tail.

On

middle of back these bars are narrower than the interspaces,but

grow much

wider

downward.

Mid- dle of sides with a series of 8 or⁹ quadrate

dusky

blotches, more or lessconfluent, asinE.aspro.

Below

^{pale, unmarked. Dorsals,caudal,}

and

pectorals

more

or less evidently barred with light

and

dark; ven- trals

and

anal unmarked.

No

bright colorsin life.

Severalspecimens from ^{the Saline liiver at}Benton, Ark.

4. Etheostoma(Hadropterus)squamatus Gilbert«feSwain, sp. uov. 36652.

Body

elongate, thesides

and

caudalpeduncle compressed; backele- vated, the^profileforminga slightangleatocciput; head verylong

and

slender, with a long acuminate snout, as ⁱⁿ E. phoxocephalum, which this species

somewhat

^{resembles in} appearance. Cleftof

mouth

long

and

narrow, the lower

jaw

includedin closed

mouth

; maxillary reach- ing ^vertical from ^{front of orbit, its} length equaling that of snout,3J timesin head; upper

jaw

not protractile.

Bands

of teeth very wide, the outer premaxillary ^series enlarged.

Vomerine

patch well devel- oped.

Eye

moderate. Ifⁱⁿ snout, 4f ⁱⁿheadto

end

of opercular spine, 2^^{times the}furjowediuterorbitalwidth. Preopercularmarginstrictly entire. Gill-membranes widely united across isthmus.

Spinous dorsal long

and

low, spinesfrom the

3d

tothe 10thsubequal

inlength,thoseanteriorly

and

posteriorlygradually shortened; longest spine one-third length of head. Spinous

and

softdorsals well separated.

Baseofsoftdorsal equaling one-half the distancefromitsorigin to front of spinous^dorsal.

Anal

shorterthansoftdorsal,buthigher

and

inserted

more

anteriorly; anal spines strong,thefirst slightly thelonger,about equaling length of snout. Highestanalray nearly half length ^ofhead.

Caudal emarginate, thelobes rounded, 14in head. Pectorals equaling length of head behind ^frontofeye. Ventrals If ⁱⁿhead.

Body

covered with verysmall scales,uniformin size,and completely investing the ventral^region, which is withoutseriesof enlargedscutes.

Cheeks, breast

and

nuchal regioncovered with still finerscales having entire edges,

and

the opercle with larger.spinousscales; interopercle

and

part of suboperclenaked.

An

enlarged black humeralscale.

Head, 3^inlength^; depth,5^. D.

XIY-13;

A. II,10. Lateral line 82^; 10 seriesbetween lateralline

and

middleofbase of spinousdorsal, 18 in avertical seriesfrom hit.1. tomiddle of belly.

Colorsinlife: Yellowish-olive,withabout10broad

dusky

bars across the back,

and

an equal

number

of

dusky

blotches along^lateralline; a conspicuous blackhumeral spot; a broadblack line forward from^eye to snout,

and

anarrowerline

backward

fromeyetoupperpreopercular margin; opercle

and

occiput largelydusky.

A

^diffuse

^dusky

^{blotch at}

base of tail, with a small, round,jet-black spot behind it. Spinous dorsal translucent, with a broad subterminal brownish-orange

bandj

NATIONAL MUSEUM. 51

softdorsal

and

caudal barredwith

dusky and

orange-yellow. Pectorals slightly reddish. Ventralstranslucent.

A

^single specimen,3.9incheslong (numbered 36652 on the catalogue of the ]!s^ational

Museum), was

taken

by

the writer

and

Prof. Joseph Swainin the French

Broad

Eiver at the

mouth

of

Wolf

Creek, Ten- nessee. It

was

found in very rapid water, lurkingunderthe stones.

5. Etheostoma (Hadropterus) cymatotcenia Gilbert*&Meek,sp. u. 36215, 36308, 3S260.

Body

robust,comparativelylittlecompressed, the ventral region very prominent, rounded, the dorsal region scarcely- elevated; dorsal

and

ventraloutlines converging rapidly towards caudal peduncle, whichis

very narrow

and

expands abruptly behind to form a broad basis for the caudalfin.

Head

short, tapering rapidly forwards, the snout not blunt,short

and

slender.

Mouth

small, oblique, thelower

jaw

included.

Maxillary nearlyreachingverticalfrom frontoforbit,about4i inhead.

Teeth in verynarrow cardiform bands, the outer series in bothjaws rather conspicuously enlarged.

Eye

large, about equaling snout, 4 in head. Cheeks, opercles, nape

and

breast covered with largescales, thoseon cheeks smallerthan the others, Preopercularmargin entire.

Gill-membranes narrowlyjoined across isthmus, the union beinginmost cases hardlyperceptible, but inone specimen quite broad.

Spinousdorsalrather short

and

high,thefirst spine butlittleshorter than the second; anterior spines highest, the outlineof thefin thence declined; highest spine equaling half the length of the head. Soft dor- sal small, quadrate, aslong ashigh, its base butlittle

more

than half that ofspinous dorsal; itslongest ray Ifⁱⁿ head.

First anal spinevery strong

and

robust,

much

strongerthan any of dorsal spines, or than the second anal spine; itslength equaling dis- tance from snoutto center ofpupil,equaling or slightlyexceeding that ofsecond anal spine.

Anal

larger than second dorsal,itsbaseslightly longer,

and

the rays higher, the longest ray 1^ or 1§ inhead. Caudal slightlyemarginate. Pectoralsshort,notreachingtips of ventrals,the two about equal inlength, equalinghead behind nostrils.

Body

coveredwith largeroughscales,everywhere spinousbutwith a tendency tosmoothness on thebreast. Ventralregion completely

and

uniformly scaledwithout

median

seriesofenlarged plates,

two

or three ofwhich only are visible between theventrals.

Head

4to 4^inlength; depth5. Lateral line64to 70; ⁷scales from

lateral line to middle of spinous dorsal, 12 to

median

ventral line.

D.

XII

to

XIV-12

to 14; A. II, 10.

Colors in life:

Above and

onsides greenish,

made

very dark byfine, close-set,punctulations.

Two

pairsoflightstreaksalongsides,narrower thaninterspaces,becomingyellowishin spirits; the upper pair fromthe nape running along each side of dorsal, inclosing between

them

a

r.o

DESCRIPTIONS OF ETHEOSTOMOIDS.

dusky

streakoccupying

median

lineofback; the lower pairfrom above opercles running in a

wavy

course above lateral line to upper caudal lobe.

Below

this

and bounded by

it,occupyingthemiddleof the sides, isa broad,

dusky

mouiliform band.

Lower

part of sides

and

ventral region lightolive, dustedsparsely with rather coarse black specks.

A

smalljet-black spot atbase of caudal.

A

broad black bar(sometimes obscure) on head, from snout througheye across upperpart of cheeks toopercular spine. Sometimesa seriesofsmallblackcross-blotches

on median

dorsal line. Finstranslucent, barred withdark lines.

Abundant

inthe

Niangua

Eiver

and

the

Osage Fork

^oftheGasconade, nearMarshfield,Mo.,

and

intheSacliiver,uearGreenfield, Mo.

Numer-

ousspecimens weretaken,

and

are

numbered

3G215, 36308,

and

38260on theregisterof the National

Museum.

6. Etheostoma(Hadropterus) nianguaeGilbert

&

Meek, sp.nov. 3'i2I4.

Body

elongate,terete,thesides

somewhat

compressed,

becoming more

soposteriorly; back elevated, the profile descending gently in an un- brokenlinefrom ^front of dorsal to tipofsnout.

Head

very long

and

slender,

much

as inE.macrocephalum

and

phoxocephalum; thesnout com- parativelydeep

and

narrow, abruptlyrounded verticallyattip.

Mouth

large, thecleftwide

and

slightlyoblique,the maxillaryreaching

beyond

frontoforbit, itslength equaling distance from snoutto frontofpupil, 3^in head (the latter

measured

in thisdescriptionto end of opercular spine). Outerseriesof premaxillary teeth

somewhat

enlarged; thebands

all broad.

Eye

slightly less than snout, 5^ in head toend ofopercular spine; interorbital space convex transversely, its width about three- fifthsdiameterof eye.

Cheeks

perfectly smooth,with a few scattered

embedded

cycloid scales^; opercles

and

breast strictly

naked

; nape

and

ventral region closely scaled. Preopercularmargin entire. Gill-mem- branes scarcelyjoined across the isthmus.

Spinousdorsal short

and

high,the firstspine

much

shorterthan the second,theseventh

and

eighthaboutequal,the longest2^^inhead. Soft dorsalhigh, its base 1^in that of spinous dorsal, the longest ray 14iu head.

Anal

similar to second dorsal, but smaller. First anal spine short, the second but little longer, its length equaling that of snout.

Caudal wide, truncate behind, slightly emarginate

when

fin is not spread. Pectorals equaling distancefromfront of orbit to tip ofoj)er-

cular spine, the tips of pectorals

and

ventrals reachingaboutthe

same

vertical. Ventrals1^ or If ⁱⁿ head.

Scales on

body

ofmoderatesize,

becoming

larger

and

less closely im- bricatedposteriorly_; thoseonnape

and

along baseof dorsal anteriorly littleimbricated,roundish, withoutspinous points,partially

embedded

in the skin. Ventral region uniformly scaled, without

naked

stripor series ofcaducous^])lates; noenlarged scale between bases of ventral

fins.

Head and

breast naked, excepting afew

embedded

scalesbelow

and

behind eye.

MUSEUM. 53

Head, _3fin length; depth, of^{to 6.} D.

XI

or XII, 13 or 14; A. II 11 or ^12. Lat. 1.

74|^

^{L. 3^in.}

'

Color: Olivaceous, theback with 8 to 10

dusky

cross-bars widerthan the interspaces; these dorsal bars usually continuous with an equal

number

on middleof sides, the latter terminating belowlateralline in

V-shaped prolongations,

much

likethose in Efheostoma hlennioides. lu one specimen (an adultS) the first

two

bars are partiallyconfluent on

sides, the anterior one including the axil

and

ending in a black spot below pectorals, the second encircling body behind ventral fins; bars behind front of analin this specimen also completelyencircling body.

Back and

sides

marked

with

many

small bright carmine-red spots, ir-

regularly disposed in the light interspaces; in the male specimenthey are

much more

numerous,those on hinder part of

body

confluent,form- ing narrow bars, one

down

the middle of each light space.

A

dark streak forward

and

one

backward

from eye, none

downward

; opercle and top ofhead dusky.

Spinous dorsal dusky, the base

marked

with fine red spots, thefin broadlymarginedwith a brightcarmine band. Soft dorsalbarred with alternating seriesofdark

and

ofreddishspots. Caudalwithwidebarsof dark and red.

A

pair of small jet-black spots oncaudal peduncle at base ofmedian caudalrays.

Anal dusky

atbase. Pectorals and ven- trals lightorange, indistinctly barred with dusky.

Two

specimens, each _3f inches long, were taken

by

the writer, in

company

with Mr. Seth E. Meek, in the headwaters of the

Niangua

Eiver,near Marshfield, Mo.

One

of these is deposited inthe U.^{S. iSla-} tioual

Museum,

the otherin the

museum

of the University of Cincin- nati.

7. EtheostomanianguaspilotumGilbert,subsp. nov. 38319.

Difleringfromthe above in squamatiou only, the scales being

much

larger,

and

thelateral lineincompletein allspecimens examined.

The

scales along anteriorportion of base of spinous dorsalhavelikethose on napelost theirctenoid chara^jteristics, but are notreduced in size,

and arestill regularly disposed in seriescontinuous with those ofsides.

In typical niangucethey are

much

reduced,

and

notin definiteseries.

Head, 3ito3f; depth, 5^ to 6^.

Eye

5in head, inspecimens2 to3 inches long. D.

X

or

XI-12

or 13_; A. II, 10 or 11. Lat. 1. 58to60, the pores absent onthe posterior 5 to 13 scales,

and

occasionallyon single scales

more

anteriorly. Eight seriesof scales between lateral line

and

base ofspinousdorsal.

Colorinlife: Olive green above,light below; back with Sdarkcross- bars formedof

dusky

mottliugs; continuous with these, or in other ca^es alternating with them, are 8 V-shaped markings on middle of sides; sides

and

above spotted with reddish orange occupying the light interspaces.

A

^{narrow black} bar from upper opercular angle through eye encirclingthesnout. Pectorals

and

ventralstranslucent,

54 DESCRIPTIONS OF ETHEOSTOMOIDS.

tinged witli light orauge. Dorsal trausluceut, the rays speckled.

Spinousdorsal with anarrowred margin, terminating posteriorly in a bright orange-red spot,in advanceofwhichis a largeblackblotch.

A

blackhumeralspot.

Two

jet-blackspotsatbase of caudal,

more

orless confluentinto one. In allother respects this agrees with thedescrip- tionoftypical niangucc.

Twelve

specimens, the ^largest 2f inches ^long, were taken

by

the writerin Sturgeon^Creek,a tributary of the

Kentucky

River,nearTrav- eler's Rest,

Owsley

County, Kentucky.

8. EtheostomazonaleCope.

?E, hjneeum Hay, substitute for Xanostoma elegans Hay, Proc. U. S. Nat.

Mus., 1880, 493.

This species has been taken in

abundance

in immediate tributaries of the OhioRiver in Southern Ohio

and

Indiana, in both lowland

and

mountainstreams ofKentucky,Tennessee,

and Alabama, and

invarious streams of

Arkansas and

Texas. In

Alabama

itoccurs both north

and

south of the watershed separating the Tennessee and Black Warrior Rivers, and willprobably be found ^{in all the} streams of Northern

and

Central

Alabama,

Mississippi,

and

Georgia which flow to the Gulf of Mexico. Ithasnot yet been recorded from streams of the Atlantic slope.

Specimens fromthe

same

localityvary greatlyin coloration and in fin

and

scale formulse. Itis probable thatno tangiblevarieties can be distinguishedin

any

portion of its

known

range.

The

dorsal varies from

X-11

toXII-13,the analis II,7orII, 8,

and

thelateral lineranges from 41 to 53.

The

^{green on sides varies from} short blotches towide bars entirely encircling bellyand extended ondorsal region.

The

red ondorsals is usually confined to aseries of spots, oneat baseof

mem-

brane between each

two

spines,butisoccasionallydevelopedas a basal

band

^along both spinous

and

soft portions offin.

The

typespecimen of .EJ. lynceum, kindly sent

me by

Professor

Hay,

is a brightly-marked adult male,showingblack spotsat bases ofdorsal scales,

and

having the snout

somewhat

blunter than ^{usual, but}agree- ingin all other respects withzonale.

The

greenbands onsidesarenot mentioned in the original description, but ^tracesof

them

can^still be seen.

Specimens from

Arkansas and

the Southwest have been designated a subspecies [Etheostoma ^zonale arcansamtm Jordan, Cat. Fish. X. A.

1885, 80^; Jordan

&

^{Gilbert, Proc.} U. S. Nat. Mus. 1886, pp. 5, 13) be- causetheir breasts were nearly or quite naked. Characters based on squamation of head

and

breast arevalueless herefor even subspecific distinction,as will be seen

by

the following results of

an

examination of material from variousi)artsof the country.

In specimens from Cypress Creek ^{Florence, Ala.,} the following stages in the squamation of the breast were found in different individuals

:

(1) Breastentirely naked, noscalepresent anterior tobases of ventral

55 and

pectoral ^fins; (2) asingle soale only, firmly

embedded

in middle of breast; ₍₃₎ an additional patch of scales occupyingregion between baseof pectoral fins

and

gill opening; ₍₄₎ this patchproduced down-

ward and

encroachingonthe breast proper, which

may

thenhave fur- ther a transverse

band

ofscales ora V-shaped patchinfront ofventral

fins.

Some

or all ofthese stages have been found in materialfrom the Eolling

Fork and

theRockcastle Eiver, in Kentucky,the

Chickasawha

Eiver,in Mississippi,

and

the Little

Miama

River, in Ohio.

The

ma- jority ofspecimens

show

the breast

naked

and a patch ofscales jjresent in advance of pectoral fins. In no specimen examined has the breast been found completely invested.

What

is true of the squamation of the breast is true also of the cheeks

and

opercles. Specimens fromtheLittle

Miami

River

and

from Florence,Ala., have these regions scaled, but the scales varygreatly in condition. In

some

individuals the scales are ctenoid

and

imbri- cated, like those on the body; in others they are almost completely

embedded

inthe skin, the spiny points only projecting; in stillothers they have

become

thin

and

weak, are no longer imbricated,

and show

only cycloid concentric rings.

A

further stage in this last process would doubtless result in their absorption

and

entire disappearance.

Specimens fromthe Rolling

Fork

have the cheeks usually naked, the opercles

more

or less completelyscaled; from the Rockcastle have cheeks

and

opercles eitherpartly orwholly naked, thescaleson cheeks being thefirsttodisappear; fromthe

Washita

River,Ark.,have cheeks

and

opercles,entirely scaled, or j>artly orwholly naked.

It seems at least possible that zonaleis tending towardentire lossof scalesfrom head

and

breast, this tendency being independentof local conditions,

and

thereforeprettyequally exhibited throughoutthe range of thesjiecies.

9. Etheostoma (Rhothoeca) blennius Gilbert

&

Swain, sp.nov. 36187.

Body

exceedingly robust, littlecompressed, the ventral outline

more

strongly arched than dorsal outline_; greatest depth opposite frontof spinousdorsal,thetwoprofiles thenceconvergingrapidly

backwards

to form the ratherlong, slender,caudal peduncle.

Head

very deep, with subvertical cheeks, broad below, narrowing

upwards and

forwards.

Profile from nape to middle of iuterorbital space nearly horizontal, thence abruptly

and

very obliquelydecurved to tipof snout. Middle ofeye equidistantfrom tipofsnout

and

frontof nape. Greatest depth of preorbital two-sevenths length of head.

Mouth

very small, subinferior, the lower

jaw

included. Length of maxillary equaling distancefrom tip ofsnout to anterior ^nostril. Pre- maxillaries not protractile, thefold of upper lip interrupted

by

a very narrowfrenum,asisthecasein

some

specimensofEtheostomasimoterum, towhich blenniusseemsclosely related.

Vomer

withteeth. Opercular spine very little developed, the opercle terminating in a flat point,

56 DESCRIPTIONS OF ETHEOSTOMOIDS.

scarcelyprojecting

beyoud

the

membrane.

Gill-membranes verywidely joined across isthmus, the width of theunion beingtwo-thirds distance from posteriormarginof

membrane

to tipof lower jaw.

Eyes

small, highup, theirdiametertwo-thirds snout

and

4^in head.

Spinous dorsal long

and

rather low,

composed

of stiff spines, the

membrane

oflastspine joiningbaseoffirst softray; themiddle spines the highest, about half length of head. Second dorsal shorter

and

higherthan the first,

much

larger than the small anal tin, its longest ray Ifⁱⁿ head.

Anal

spines short

and

robust, the first longer than second; longest anal rayaboutequaling lengthof snout. Caudallunate.

Pectoralsvery large,reaching

much beyond

ventrals, about one-third length of body.

Length

of ventrals equaling distance from snout to base of pectorals. Least depth ofcaudal peduncletwo-fifths depth of body.

Body

coveredwith verylargescales,thoseon nape

somewhat

smaller.

Head and

breastwholly naked. Lateral linecomplete, straight.

Head

_4tinlength; depth_4f. D. XII,12; A.II,8. Lateralline,dSf.

Length, 2| ^inches.

Colorin life: Lightolive-green above, with four conspicuous black- ish-brown cross-bars,narrowerthan theinterspaces, runningfrom back

downward and

forwardtobelowlateralline; the^first,very broad,occu- pies theentirenape,

and

terminates above baseof pectorals; thesec- ond,

much

narrower, begins below end of spinous dorsal; the third belowlast rays of soft dorsal; the last bar,

much

less conspicuous,

on

back of caudal peduncle.

On

middle ofeach lightinterspaceis a sim-

ilar,

somewhat

broader, bar, less clearly marked,

and

with ill-defined boundaries. These bars terminate belowlateral linein seven ^oreight

dusky

blotches.

Each

scaleon back

and

sideswiththecentralportion light red, changing togolden

brown

in spirits. Belly

and

lower fourth of sides silvery- white.

Two

bright areas at base of caudal, with a blackish barimmediatelybehind

them

;caudal indistinctlybarredwith dusky. Dorsalstranslucent,the

membrane

betweeneach

two

rayswith an elongate dusky-redblotch,extendingtwo-thirds height offin; spin- ousdorsal margined with light red. Pectorals barred with dusky

and

light-yellowish. Ventrals with traces of similar bars.

Anal

translu- cent, anindistinct yellowish

band

alongitsmiddle.

Two

specimens were takennear Florence,Ala.,

by

thewriter

and

Mr.

Joseph Swain, thelargestofthese (thetype of the presentdescription,

numbered

36187 on the register of the National

Museum)

in Cox's Creek, the smaller in Shoal Creek

—

^clear, rapid streams, tributary to theTennessee River.

This species is very close to Etheostoma inscriptnm Jordan

&

^Bray-

ton,but differs from published descriptions of the latter in form, in

some

details of coloration,

and

in the smaller eye.

We

have bad no specimensofinscriptum with which to

compare

it.

1S87.]

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 57

10. Etheostoma(RhothcEca) rupestreGilbert&, Swaiii, sp.nov. 36695.

Closely related toEtheostoma thalassinmn, from wbich it

may

bedis- tiuguislied by its

more

sleuder form, the absence of bright coloration, the smallerscales, and the squamation of theopercle.

Body

slender, fusiform, little compressed, the upper anteriorprofile

descendingrapidly to tip of snout. 3Iouth small, horizontal, terminal, atlowerside of snout, the lower

jaw

included; maxillary reachingver- ticalfrom front of orbit, itslength slightly less than diameter of eye, 3^ ⁱⁿ head ⁱⁿ specimens li inches long. Interorbital space verynar- row, its width half diameter of orbit. Gill-membranes widelyjoined, free from the isthmus.

Scalessmall, 6 to 7 longitudinal series between lateral line

and

the base of the spinous dorsal; tubes of lateral line usually55 or 5Q in number, varying from50to57. Laterallinecomplete, straight. Oper- cle

more

orlesscompletedcoveredwithscalesas large asthoseonsides;

cheeks and breast naked, thenape closely scaled.

Fins ofmoderatesize,the spines

weak and

flexible.

Length

ofdorsal spines equaling distance from tip of snout to middleof orbit.

Anal

spinesshort, aboutequalinsize,theirlengthlessthandiameter oforbit.

Pectorals long, reaching

beyond

verticalfrom vent, theirlength 3to3^

times inlength of head

and

body. Yentrals reaching vent. Caudal short, not deeply notched, ii in length.

Head, ³⁴ to4 in length; depth, 5i|. D.

XI

or

XII—

11 or12^; A. II, 7 (8). Lat. 1. 50to 57; 6 or 7 series abovelateral line.

Coloration in life: Grass green, withdarker markings, but no red or blue.

Back

with six dark cross bars, widerthan the light interspaces.

A

^{seriesof six dark blotches, sometimes W-shaped, alongsides imme-}

diately below lateralline. Usuallyfour dark spots at base of caudal, twoof which are closely approximated at base of median caudalrays.

Dark

vermiculatiouson top of snout; adark bar

downwards, and

one

downwards

and forwards fromeye. Fins with wiivy

dusky

bars.

Xumerous

specimens were taken

by

us in North River, a tributary of the Black Warrior, near Tuscaloosa, Ala. It

may

provetobea sub- species of thalassimim, but

we

cannot atpresentsodetermineit.

11. Etheostoma (Etheostoma) saxatileHay. 36628, 36630,.36736.

Numerous

specimens from various localities enable us to contribute the following points to ourknowledge of this species

With much

the habit of E. olmstecU, butthesnoutslender

and

sharp, with gently decurvedprofile

and

the

mouth

terminal,nearlyhorizontal.

Lower jaw

included; maxillaryextending^scarcely

beyond

verticalfrom front of eye. Pieopercleentire; ojiercular spinedeveloped. Gill

mem-

branes evidently but rather narrowlyunited across isthmus.

Pectorals reaching

somewhat

beyondventrals,aboutas long as head, not nearly reachingvent. Ventrals notextending

two

thirdsdistance to front of anal, equaling distance from snoutto preopercle. Dorsal

finswellseparated,theintervalbetween

them

equaling two-thirdsdiam.

68 DESCRIPTIONS OF ETHEOSTOMOIDS.

eter of orbit; dorsal spiues very slender

and

fragile, the longest equal- ing longest soft ray,

and

half length of head.

Anal

spines slender, about equal in length, the anterior the stronger, one-third length of head; softanal rays equal lialfdistancefromsnouttobaseofpectorals.

Caudal shallowlylunate.

Scales stronglyctenoitl,uniformly covering

body

exceptbreast,those on nape smaller; opercles and upper portion of cheeks closely scaled,

head

otherwise naked.

No

enlarged black humeralscale. Lateralline reaching aboutto

end

of soft dorsal, on 30to 45 scales.

Head, _3fto 4in length; depth, 6. D.

XI

to

XIII—

11 to 12^; A. II, 9. Lat.1. 50 to55. Five longitudinal series between lateral line

and

baseof spinous dorsal.

Colorin life: Olivaceous, with six dark cross-barson back,

and

with darktessellationswhichfollowthe

same

pattern asin E.olmstedi,those on upper parts light brownish red, instead of

dusky;

the

Msli^P^d marks

^{alongsides dusky,} serving, in the brighter specimens ^only, as the starting points for light-bluebands which

more

or lesscompletely encircle belly

and

caudal peduncle.

No

otherbright markings.

A

narrow

dark streak from eye to snout; an indistinctdark streak be- low,

and

a black spotbehindeye. Dorsals

and

caudal inconspicuously barred.

A

^{pairofminutejet-blackspotsatbaseof}

^median

^caudalrays,

more

conspicuous inthe young. Opercle dusky.

This species hasundoubtedly avery wide distribution. Originally described

by

Professor

Hay

fromthe

Chickasawha

River,it

was

during the

summer

of 1884found to be

abundant

in tributaries of the Clinch Biver near Clinton, Tenn., in theBlack Warrior River ^atMorris,

and

at Tuscaloosa, Ala.,

and

in the Saline

and Washita

Rivers in Arkan-

sas.

Our

specimens have been

compared

with the original types, with

which

they agreeinallrespects.

The frenum

joining the premaxillary to the foreheadis very narrow

and

easily ruptured, theupper

jaw

then appearing protractile. Occasionally thefold is continuous,no frenum beingpresent,the speciesvarying in thisrespect like E. aimoterum.

12. Etheostoma(Etheostoma) luteovinctum^Gilbert

&

Swain, sp. uov. 36139.

Body

compressed, the back elevated,the profile descendingrapidly forward,

and

gradually towards tail, from front of spinous dorsal _; caudal peduncle very slender.

Head

compressed, with a short high snout, the upperprofileof which descends ⁱⁿ a strong curve. j\Iouth at lowerlevel of muzzle, which does not project

beyond

it; mandible included.

Gape

nearlyhorizontal,ofmoderatesize,the maxillaryreach- ing vertical from front of pupil, 3J ^{in head.}

Cheeks

and opeicles scaled. Preopercle entire. Opercular spinepresent. Branchiostegal

membranes

narrowlyjoined across isthmus.

Eye

rather large, longer thansnout, 3i to 4 in head.

Dorsalsshortandlow,wellseparatedfrom each^other; baseofspinous dorsal equaling length of caudal peduncle,

and

butlittle longerthan that of soft dorsal. Highest dorsal spine half length of head; the

highest softray 1|in head.

Anal

spines of aboutequal length,both slender

and

ratherhigh, ^ length of head. Pectoralsas long ashead;

ventrals 1|inhead.

Cheeks, opercles,

and

nape closely scaled, the breast

naked

or par- tially scaled.

No

black humeral scale. Lateral line nearlystraight, continuedto below middle of second dorsal,running on30to35 scales.

Head,_3fto4inlength; depth, 4J^to5. D.

IX

or

X—

13; A. II, 7 or 8. Lat. 1. 49 toSS^s^. Length,2 inches.

Colors in life: Verylight pale olive,with 7

dusky

cross-bars on back narrower thanthe interspaces,

and

reachingabouthalf

way

to lateral line,their ends connected

by dusky

^lines.

Below

lateralline about9 dusky-greenish blotches, between which are orange-yellow cross-bars, most distinct posteriorly, not reaching

median

ventral line.

Xo

^dis-

tinct streak forward from ^eye; a

dusky

bar below eye; snoutdusky.

Small black spots atbase of caudal. Soft dorsal

and

caudal barred withdusky. Spinousdorsal with a black blotchon posterior rays, a yellowororange barthrough middle offin,the base

and

margin dusky.

Anal

fin unmarked.

Five specimens were ^obtained from aquiet gravelly spot in Stone Eiver near Nashville, Tenn.

13. Etheostoma (Btheostoma)parvipinneGilbert

&

^{Swaiu, sp.nov, 36716.}

Body

compressed,littletapering,the caudal peduncledeep,itsdepth approximately equal throughout.

Head

small

and

broad, with very short snout which is abruptly

somewhat

^{blunt,its tip} about on a level withaxis of body, the dorsal outline descending to it equally as the ventral outlinerises.

Mouth

small,with broad, oblique ^cleft, tbe

max-

illaryreaching beyond ^vertical from front of orbit, 3| ⁱⁿ head. Teeth on

vomer and

^palatines.

Eye

4^inhead, equaling distance fromtipof snout to frontof pupil. Interorbital width_§ diameterof orbit, witha median furrow. Preopercular margin*entire. Gill

membranes

very broadly joined across isthmus, the distance on median linefrom their posteriorborder to articulationofmandibleequalingdiameter oforbit.

Cheeks, opercles, nape

and

breastclosely scaled.

Spinousdorsallow

and

of

weak

spines,themedianportionhighest,the outline descending^{gradually either}

way

; the highest spine 2^ⁱⁿhead.

The

two dorsals scarcely joinedat base.

Second

dorsalsmall,itsbase equaling length of head in front of preopercular margin,the lougest rayhalf length of-head.

Anal

spines ratherweak, the second longer

and somewhat

strongerthanthe^first. Caudal^{rounded. Pectorals}

and

ventrals both very short, their tips reaching about the

same

vertical, theventrals scarcely extending half

way

to vent. Pectorals equaling head behind middle^{of eye.}

Scalesweaklyctenoid,thoseonhead, nape,

and

breast smooth. Oper- cular scales about as large as those on body, those on cheeks, inter- opercles,breast

and

nape

much

smaller; lateral line nearly straight, with aslight archanteriorly, wanting on three or four scales only.

60 DESCRIPTIONS OF ETHEOSTOMOIDS.

Head, 4^ iu length; depth, 4a D.

XI-10

; A. II, 7. Lateral line,-

•±013.

Color:

Dusky

olive above

and

on sides, dusted with linedark i^oiuts.

Eleven or twelvefaint dark cross-blotcheson back,

and

a correspond- ing

number

on middle of sides below lateralline.

Lower

part of sides

and

the ventral region unmarked.

Two

small black spots at base of caudal. Spinousdorsal with abouttwo irregular series ofblack spots _; soft dorsal

and

caudal speckled; other fins

unmarked. A

dark bar below eye, nonein front orbehind.

A

single specimen, 2 inches long,

was

obtained in a small spring- branch tributaryto the Black Warrior River, atTuscaloosa, Ala. It is

numbered

367]G on the National

Museum

register.

14. Etheostoma(Etheostoma) punctulatumAg. 3fi240,36212.

Body

slender, compressed, the ventral outline nearly straight, the back scarcely elevated^; upper profile descending in a gentle regular curve fromfrontofdorsalto snout,which isbelowaxisofbody. Snout sharp;

mouth

terminal, moderatelyoblique, large,the maxillaryreach- ing vertical from middle of pupil, 3 in head _; premaxillaries not pro"

tractile.

Eye

large, 3^ ⁱⁿ head; the snout 4^. Teeth on

vomer and

palatines; outer series inupper

jaw

enlarged. Preopercleentire; oper- cularspineveryslender. Branchiostegal

membranes

not united across isthmus.

Finsrather small. Pectorals

and

ventrals aboutequal,the latternot nearly reachingvent,as longasfrom snout tonape. Dorsals not joined at base, the spines rather strong.

Anal

with two slender subequal spines,aslong asdiameteroforbit,thefirststrongerthansecond. Can.

dal truncate.

Body

covered with small ctenoid scales, which

become

very tine on thenape; breast naked.

An

enlarged blackhumeralscale; cheeksand opercles naked. Lateral line straight, ending below last rays of soft dorsal, the tubes wanting on about20 scales.

Head, _3J in length; depth 5g. D.

X

^or

^XI-14

^{; A- II, 8 or9.}

Lateralline G3 to 73, about 9 seriesabove ^it. Length 2 inches.

Colors in life:

Very

dark slaty-green, with indistinct darker bars, irregularin

number and

size,

downwards

fromback. Belly

and

branch- iostegal

membranes

deep orange-red. Sides ofheadcoarsely punctate with black; top of head dusky, adark bar forwards from eye, one up.

wards and

backwards

acrossupperportion ofcheek

and

oi)ercle,

and

a broad bar

downwards

to behind the mandible.

A

consi)icuous black humeralspot. Usuallya darker area atbaseofcaudal, onebelow soft dorsal,

and

a

dusky

bar in axil of pectorals euding below the fin ina blackish blotch. Spinous dorsal dusky-green at base, a broad black bar through its middle,

more

conspicuous anteriorly, its margin red- dish; second dorsal,caudal,

and

pectorals light reddish, withindistinct

wavy

barsformed of black punctulatious; auals and veutrals dusted with coarse black specks.

This species is

abundaut

in small streams in the

Ozark

region of SouthwesternMissouri. It

was

taken

by

Mr.S.E.

Meek and

thewriter in the Sac Eiver near Greenfield,

and

inthe

Mangua

River,theJames,

and

the

Osage

Fork ofthe

Gasconade

Rivers, nearMarshfield,Mo.

15. EtlieostomaTEtheostoma) whippleiGirard. 36353, 36442, 36377, 1331, 36419, 36818, 36735.

Closelyrelated toEtheostoma punctulatum from which ^it differs con- spicuouslyinitsdeeper,

more

compressedbody, thicker caudal peduncle, coarserscales, smaller eye, theunionof the branchiostegal

membranes

across the isthmus,

and

thedifferent coloration.

Body

rather deep,compressed; leastdepthof caudal peduncleequal- ing length of snout

and

eye.

Mouth

terminal, oblique, maxillary reaching vertical from front of pupil, 3^ in head. Premaxillaries not protractile.

Eye

moderate, slightly greater than snout, 4^ in head.

Preopercleentire; opercular spinestrong. Branchiostegal

membranes

rather widely joined acrossisthmus.

Finslarger than inpunctulatum; dorsals slightlyjoined atbase, the longest soft ray half length of head; pectorals

somewhat

longerthan veutrals,which equal distancefromsnouttopreopercularmargin; first

anal spine longer

and much

stronger than second; caudaltruncate.

Scales small; lateral line straight,ending underlastraysof softdor- sal, the pores wanting on 16 to 20 scales. Opercles with a fewlarge ctenoid scales. Breast

and

ventral region,cheeks, nape,

and

a strip alongbaseofspinous dorsalanteriorly,

naked

orwithembedded,cycloid scales.

Head

3^ inlength: depth

^

^{to 5. D.}

^IX

^to

^XII-12

^{to 14; A. II, 7.}

Lateral line60 to70,8 or 9seriesbetween it

and

base of spinousdorsal.

Colorsin life: Grayish, mottled with darker,

and

with about 12 in- distinct

dusky

bars, becoming

more

clearly

marked

posteriorly; scales of lighter interspaces on sides, with small, round, bright, orange-red spots, thosenearlateralline in longitudinal seriesof

two

to five.

Two

orange blotches at base of caudal.

A

dark spot below eye,

and two

behind it

—

one of theseon upperpart of cheeks, the other, fainter, on occiput.

A

conspicuous black humeral spot.

Spinousdorsal dusky-translucent atbase, a dark barabouthalf

way

up, then a translucent bar, an orange-red bar,

and

a translucent bar tipped withdusky; softdorsal similarly marked, with

more

yellowish.

Anal

like soft dorsal, the orange brighter, sometimes covering distal halfof^fin,the basal

dusky

area fainter. Caudal barredwith light

and

dark,

and

margined with black; sometimes with a submarginal

band

of orange.

Occurring abundantly in thePoteau River near Hackett's City, the SalineRiverat Benton,

and

the

Washita

River at Arkadelphia, Ark-

62 DESCRIPTIONS OF ETHEOSTOMOIDS.

16. Etheostomawhippleialabamae Gilbert

&

Swaiu, 3nbsp.iiov.

Ithasseemed desirable to assigu subspecificrank to specimens col- lected by Mr.

Swain and

the writer in the Black Warrior River near Morris

and

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

We

have found no difference between these

and

typical ichipplei, from theWest,except the constantly ^lai'ger scalesin alabamw. Thereare usually- from 50to 5G in the lateral line, occasionally 58,

and

in one instance as low as 43. There are 7 or 8 series between lateral line

and

baseof spinous dorsal, these being re-

ducedto 4in thesingle instance referred to above.

The

pores of the lateralline arewanting on about12scales. In allotherdetailsofcolor, proportions

and

fiu-formulte, the

two

forms appear not to differ.

A

single specimen from Arkadelphia, Ark., hasthe lateral line 48. This

must

beavery exceptionalirregularity, asin thecountof

some

30speci-

mens

from Arkansas, none other

was

foiiud with lessthan 60scales.

*17. EtheostomacraginiGilbert. 3H320.

Head and body heavy and

not closely compressed,the back notele- vated, the caudal peduncle deep; snout short

and

broad, less than diameterof orbit, 5in head;

mouth

terminal, broad,littleoblique, the lower

jaw

included: the maxillaryscarcelyreachingverticalfrom front of pupil,3J ⁱⁿhead. Premaxillariesnon-protractile.

Eye

large,

much

longer than snout, equaling length of maxillary. Interorbital space narrow, less than diameterofpupil. Preopercle entire; opercleending in a shortfiatpoint, the spinepoorly developed. Gill

membranes

some-

what

narrowlyjoined across the isthmus.

A

conspicuous blackhumeral

scale.

Finssmall, the pectorals reachingbut little

beyond

tipsof veutrals, 1^in head. Spinous dorsal low, the spinesstrong, the longest about_f length of head.

Anal

fin very small; first anal spine longer

and

strongerthanthe second, 3^ inhead. Caudaltruncate,equaling length of pectorals.

Scalesweakly ctenoid, uniformly covering

body

Including nape

and

ventralregion,

becoming somewhat

smaller anteriorly onsides; cheeks

and

opercles withfewscales ornone,head

and

breast otherwise naked.

Head

3^in length; depth _4f^. D.

VIII

or IX,10to 12(VI, 12 inone specimen, probablyabnormal); A.II, G or 7. Lateralline46to50, the tubesi^resent on 15 to 20scales; 6 or 7seriesof scales above lateral line.

Length

1^inches.

Colorin spirits^: Olivaceous,

much

mottled with

dusky

above; lower half of sidessprinkled with coarse black specks,andwith tracesof

two

silvery lines; middle of sides with aseriesof about 12

dusky

spots as large as pupil, the interspaces silvery; a black spot on opercle, one behind

and

onebeloworbit; snoutdusky. Caudalconspicuouslybarred withlight

and

dark; softdorsal

and

anal faintlybarred; spinous dorsal

*Thisdescription appeared originally in the ^"Bulletin of theWashburn College Laboratory"forMarchandApril, 1885, p.^99.

IdSr.]

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES

translucent, dusted with minute dark ^points, margined with blackish.

Traces of orange markings on ^{lowerside of head,}

and

on bases of pec- toral^fins; caudal apparently ^{tinged, in life,} withlight yellow.

Several specimens were ^collected and forwarded to the writer

by

Prof. F.

W.

Cragin,

who

took

them

in a small

weedy

stream connecting the

"Lake"

at

Garden

^City, Kans., with the

Arkansas

River.

A

^single

specimen was^alsotakenin

Snokomo

Creek,

Wabaunsee

County,Kansas.

18. Etheostoma (Etheostoma) tuscumbia^Gilbert

&

^{Swain, sp.nov. 3G154.}

Body

exceedinglyheavy

and

robust,with elevated back,

and

broad, thickhead. Anterior profile descending rapidly from frontof dorsal, the snout blunt

and

broadly rounded, but not overhangingthe mouth.

Gape

large

and

wide, the mandiblelittle included,the maxillary reach- ing vertical from middle of orbit, 3 in head.

Eye

rathersmall, 4Jⁱⁿ head, the interorbital width two-thirds its diameter. Preopercular margin entire. Cheeks, opercles, nape,

and

top of head generally scaly, only the snout, interorbital space,

and

preorbitalsnaked. Oper- cularspinelittledeveloped. Branchiostegal

membranes

scarcelyJoined acrossisthmus.

Finsall verysmall. Dorsal spinesweak,the

median

spineshighest, halflength of head; softdorsal scarcely higher than spinous; anal fin

with a single, rather

weak

spine, the first soft ray articulated

and

branched. Pectorals

and

ventrals very ^small, the latter not reaching

I distance to vent^; length of pastorals equaling distance from tip of snoutto preopercular margin. Caudal broadly rounded.

Head

₃Jto Sfin length; depth 4to

U.

D.

IX

orX, 11to 13; A. I, s. Lateral line50_^^o or50^\.

Length

2 inches.

Scales rough,wholly enveloping

head and body

exceptsnout

and

in- terorbital space. Lateral line incomplete, arched, following the curve of the back. Pores absent on 15 to 18 scales.

Colorinlife:

Varying

shades of grayish

and

greenish olive,

much

mottled

and

speckledwithblack. Six broad,dark bars acrossback; 8 or 10 linearblack blotches alonglateral lineseparated

by

silveryinter- spaces.

A

dark streak before, one below,

and

one behind orbit.

Opercle

and

top ofheaddusky. Pectorals withseveraldark bars,ven- trals unmarked.

A

black blotch at baseof each caudal lobe. Other

fins

more

or less barred withlight

and

dark.

Thisspeciesdiffersfromallthosehitherto referred tothegroupEtheos- tomain havingasingle analspine,and will haveto formthetype of a

new

genus, if

we

attemptto recognize asgenera such groups as Nanos- toma, Nothonotus,Hadroptertis^ &c.

Etheostoma tuscumbia

was

found exceedingly

abundant

inthe stream flowingfromthe large spring atTuscumbia, Ala.

19. Etheostoma(Alvarius)fonticolaJordan

&

^{Gilbert,sp. nov. 36523.}

Moderately compressed

and

elevated, the

two

outlines aboutequally arched; head short

and

deep, with very short snout;

mouth

terminal,