472 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



depth 12. D. X, 10; A. Ill, 12; scales 4-28-10. L. 3 inches. New 

 .Jer.M-y to Maryland, in sluggish streams. A handsome little fish. 



(I'oino/ix <-h<: todon Baird, Ninth Smithsonian Report, 1854, 3^4: Poitwtis chaitodon 

 Giiuther, i, i!G3; Jordan, Mail. Vert. cd. '2, '2-45.) 



25O. L-EPOJIBS Rafmisque. 



Sun-Jixhcs. 



(Tchthdij, Pomolift aud Apomoiis Rannisqno: Jiryttus Cuv. & Val. : Xcnotis, Xystro- 

 jilitcs aud Hclioperca Jordan: Etipoinotia Gill & Jordan. 



(Rafinesqnc, Journal de Physique, 1819, 402: type Labrus auritus L.) 



Body oblong or ovate, more or less compressed, the back in the 

 adult somewhat elevated. Mouth moderate or small, the jaws about 

 equal; maxillary narrow, the supplemental bone small or reduced to a 

 mere rudiment or altogether wanting. Teeth on vomer, and usually on 

 palatines ; none on tongue or pterygoids ; lower pharyngeals narrow, 

 the teeth conic or paved. Gill-rakers mostly short; preopcrculum 

 entire; operculum ending behind in a convex flap, black in color, 

 which in some species becomes greatly developed with age. Branchios- 

 tcgals (>. Scales moderate. Dorsal fin continuous, with ten spines; 

 anal witli three spines; caudal fin emargiuate. Coloration brilliant, 

 but evanescent. A large genus, one of the most difficult in our fish 

 fauna in which to distinguish species. The form of body, development 

 of ear-flap, and height of spines vary greatly with age. The number 

 of fin-rays and scales arc essentially the same in all. (As-!-, scale; -/>, 

 operculum, a character supposed to distinguish the genus from Spams.) 



The species may be subdivided as follows: 



Lower pharyngeals narrow, the teeth mostly conic. 

 a. Phoryngeal teeth all, or nearly all, slender, a'-nto. 



b. Supplemental maxillary bone well developed; palatine teeth present; {jill- 

 rakers stiff and ratlierlon^. (.t]Hnn<>tix U'aT. ).rt/<in< //;<*, 8ymmetricu8,phenax. 

 Ib. Siipplemeiilal maxillary reduced to a . slight rudiment. 

 c. Gill-rakers stiff, not very abort; palatine teeth usually present. (Lepomis.) 



it. (iill-rakers ec.mpar.'il i \ ely lon^ ami slendi-r; ear-llap short. 



Itclii/riiH, maorochirus, mi/xttn-alix, tloinjiitux, inuriiiiix, i>iiii<-tiititx, in i Hiatus. 

 <!<l. Cill-raker.s short, thiekish; ear-llap very lm^ and narrow in the adult. 



(iiiritiin. 



( iill-rakeis weak and llexilile, very short ; no ]ialat ine teeth. ( ,V< H<I//.S Jordan.) 



iniiinli>rm, iiuiri/iiiiitiix, Ii/inibifrons. 

 bbl. Sii])]>lemental maxillary ohsolete ; ^ill-rakers slender. ( //< liujxrca.) 



e. J 'a la I ine teeth present Jnunilix. 



ec. Palatine tc-etli ni>ne; a black dorsal patch pallidus. 



act. I'liaryn^eal teeth mll\ hluntly conic. (.\i/xlr<>i>littx Jordan.) 



lurox, t nri/oniK, albulus. 



"Lower idiaryiip-als Lmad, with tlie ti-i th jiaved. nearly spherical, truncate a hove. 

 Lupomotis Gill fc Jordan) nolulus, Itolbrooki, tjibbosus, lirun. 



