FISHES OF NEW YORK 591 



The least depth of the tail is less than one third of the depth of 

 the body. The head is rather short, its length contained three 

 and two thirds times in the total without caudal. The eye is 

 about four fifths as long as the snout and one sixth length of 

 head. Snout obtuse. The maxilla reaches to below the middle 

 of the eye; the lower jaw is shorter than the upper. The pec- 

 toral is nearly as long as the head and reaches to below the 

 beginning of the soft dorsal. The ventral is about two thirds 

 length of head. The third dorsal spine is the longest, nearly 

 one half as long as the head. The second anal spine is much 

 the longer and stouter, its length two fifths that of head. The 

 rays of the soft dorsal are longest near the end of the fin. The 

 scales are very irregularly placed, about 55 in the lateral line. 



D. IX, 1,30-31; A. 11,7. 



The color is grayish, darker on the back; lower parts silvery. 

 Young specimens have dark spots along the rows of scales, form- 

 ing oblique lines. 



The fresh-water drum has received a great number of common 

 names. In the Ohio valley and South it is known as the white- 

 perch; in the Great Lake region it is called sheepshead or fresh- 

 water drum on account of its resemblance to the salt-water 

 drum. At Buffalo and Barcelona, New York, it is known as 

 sheepshead. The name crocus, used on lakes of northern In- 

 diana is a corruption of croaker, a name of a marine fish of the 

 same family. In the southern states the name drum is gen- 

 erally applied to the species, and in addition the terms thunder 

 pumper, gaspergou and jewel head are used. Gaspergou is a 

 term used in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. The names drum, 

 croaker and thunder pumper have reference to certain sounds 

 produced by the fish either by means of its air bladder or by 

 grinding together the large molarlike teeth in the pharynx. 

 The name jewel head probably refers to the otoliths or ear- 

 bones, frequently called lucky stones, which are found in the 

 skull of this species. In Texas, adjacent to Mexican territory, 

 occurs the name gaspagie, a variation of the name gaspergou. 



The fresh-water drum is widely distributed; it occurs in Lake 



