518 roNTRIIUTlMNS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY - IV. 



abundant in river c'lianuels. One of tlie most gorgeously-colored darters. 

 but less graceful than most of them. 



i El','* n*;<>, H,I i-inili-n Siorer. 1'roe. Host. Soc. N;it. Hist. 1845, 47: PceciJichthye cceruleus 

 Agassi/, Hull. Mils. Coinp. Zool. i. :?, !*:>:>: I'trcHichthya curiatus Jordau, Man. Vert. 

 cd. 'J, -J-Jb': Aatatidhthys pulohelluB Vaillant, 1. c. 



812. P. specfabilis Agassiz. 



Very similar to the preceding, but more elongate and rather more 

 compressed; the colors similar, but the upper portion of the sides with 

 distinct blackish stripes along the rows of the scales, and the 'ground 

 color of the back and sides having a peculiar whitish or bleached ap- 

 pearance. The two dorsal fins usually well separated. Scales usually 

 present below and behind eye. Head 4; depth 4. D. X-12; A. II, 7; 

 scales 5 40-7; Lat. 1. on 20-25 scales. L. 2-3 inches. Mississippi Val- 

 ley : rather less abundant than the other, and ascending small or even 

 muddy streams. Probably merely a brook variety of the preceding, 

 from which it is not always to be distinguished with certainty. 



(Agassiz, Amur. Jouru. Sci. Arts, 1854, 304; Jordan, Man. Vert. ed. 2, *227.) 



( lieel;s evidently scaly, at least above. 



. P. aspripcmis Forbes. 

 Body rather stout, compressed. Head small and pointed. Ej*e large, 

 longer than snout. Mouth terminal, oblique, the jaws even. Breast 

 always naked; opercles scaly; cheeks closely scaled, the lower fourth 

 rarely bare. Dorsal fins usually separated. Coloration mottled green- 

 ish ; the spinous dorsal dusky behind, in life with a broad band of blue 

 ami crimson ; soft iins speckled. Ilead 4; depth U. D. XI-12; A. II, 

 <s; Lat. 1. 40, the tubes developed on 34-41 scales. L. 24 inches. Illi- 

 nois River. 



(Korl.es, Hull. 111. I, ah. Nat. Hist, i, 41, 1*77; .Jordan. Man. Vert. ed. >>, 4U4.) 



*1I. P. jt'SSiSE .Jordan V IJrayton. 



i'.ody fusiform, rather deep and compressed. Head rather large, 

 moderately pointed. .Month rather large, terminal, the upper jaw 

 slightly longest. Cheeks scaly above, the greater part naked; opereles 

 .s.aly; throat naked; neck al>;>\ v scaly. Lateral line extending neaily 

 to end of second dorsal. Fins moderate. Chestnut colored above, with 

 about '. quadrate bar-like blotches of a dark-bine color along the sides, 

 and about ."> dark cross blotches on the back; tins mottled with chest 

 nut; a \ello\\ or orange band across the dorsal; second dorsal and anal 

 >|.eckled with golden. Head i; depth. \ I>. XI1-12; A. II, Uj scales 



