85. PEECID.E BOLEOSOMA. 491 



the feeble opercular spine is almost hidden by them. Middle and lower 

 part of the sides of the body covered with large, imbricated, very rough 

 scales, these less closely set below; breast naked; behind the ventrals 

 the middle line of the belly with some small scales, behind which is a 

 naked space bounded by small imbedded scales, and extending as far 

 as the vent; back from middle of first dorsal forward naked, posteriorly 

 more or less scaly. Fins low and small, the second dorsal larger than 

 the first or the anal ; the spines slender ; anal spines short ; pectoral 

 fins long and narrow. Translucent, with small dark spots on back and 

 sides, besides finer specklings ; fins plain. Head 4; depth 7. D. VII 

 to IX-11 to 13; A. II, 6 to 8; Lat. 1. 60. L. 2 inches. Nense Eiver, 

 North Carolina; locally abundant. 



(Poecilichthys vitreus Cope, Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. Pbila. 1870, 263; Jordan & 

 Bray ton, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. xii, 82, 1878.) 



254. BOLEOSOMA DeKay. 



Tessellated Darters. 

 (Arlina and Estrella Grcl.) 



(DeKay, New York Fauna Fisli. 1842, 20: type Boleosoma tessellatum ~DcKny=Etheos- 

 toma olmstedi Storer.) 



Body moderately elongate, fusiform, not translucent. Head small, 

 narrowed forwards, the profile convex. Mouth small, horizontal, the 

 lower jaw included; premaxillaries protractile. Maxillary not adnate 

 to preorbital. Vomerine teeth present. Scales large. Lateral line con- 

 tinuous (rarely wanting on two or three scales). Belly with ordinary 

 scales. Gill-membranes narrowly connected. Dorsal spines 7-10, slen- 

 der; soft dorsal much larger than anal; anal normally with a single, 

 short, slender spine, the first soft ray simple, but articulate. Vertebra? 

 (B. niyrum) 17 -f- 20. Coloration olivaceous and speckled, the males 

 blackish in spring. Size small, (pohq, a dart; <7o>//, body.) 



a. Dorsal spines normally 9. 



b. Cheeks scaly ; second dorsal with 13 or 14 rays ......................... olmstedi. 



11}. Cheeks and breast normally naked (occasionally fully scaled). 

 c. Body fusiform, with slender caudal peduncle; fins moderate; second dorsal 

 with 11 or 12 rays; lateral line usually not quite complete ........... nigrum. 



cc. Body robust, compressed ; fins very high. 

 (1. Second dorsal with 13 rays; lateral line with about 40 scales ........ efftdgens. 



dd. Second dorsal with 10 rays ; lateral line about 35 ................ . . rexillare. 



aa. Dorsal spines 7 (?) ...................................................... oesopus. 



