292 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



appearance of two lobes, one on each side, and, instead of 

 being invested with a thick fleshy lip, has a sheath-like pel- 

 licle. The upper lip is greatly developed, but not protrac- 

 tile forwards. The form and most other characters are sim- 

 ilar to those of Ptychostomus or Myxostoma. The species 

 occurs in the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, and is appar- 

 ently not uncommon, being known to the inhabitants of the 

 borders as the " Hare-lip " or " Split-mouth Sucker." The tech- 

 nical designation Lagochila lacera has been conferred, on it 

 by Messrs. Jordan and Braxton. 



The Sunflshes and Black Bass. 



One of the most characteristic groups of American fishes, 

 and one almost entirely confined within the limits of North 

 America this side of the tropic of Cancer, is the family of 

 Centrarchids, which includes the sunfish, rock bass, black 

 bass, and a large number of related forms. The species of 

 this family have been systematically re-examined by Profess- 

 or Jordan, and fifty-six species are recognized as having tol- 

 erable claims to rank as valid species. These species are dis- 

 tributed among sixteen genera, grouped under three sub- 

 families viz., (1) the Micro2?terince, with the single genus, 

 Micropterus ; (2) the JLepiopomi?ice, with thirteen genera; 

 and (3) the Centrarchince, with two genera, Centrarchus 

 and Pomoxys. The genera richest in species are Lepiopo- 

 mus and Xenotis, each of which has thirteen species. To 

 these two genera and to Eupomotis belong most of the 

 common sunfishes of our Eastern waters, as well as those of 

 the Mississippi valley. The family is, however, poorly rep- 

 resented in the streams of the Atlantic seaboard, and the 

 most characteristic is the common sunfish Uttpomotis au- 

 reus. To the genus Micropterus belong the black bass (Mi- 

 cropterus salmoicles) and the widely diffused Oswego bass 

 (JSIicropterus pallidus) . 



The Etheostomids. 



Another equally characteristic group, but less conspicuous 

 in its species on account of their small size, is the family of 

 Etheostomids. The species of this family have likewise been 

 re-arranged by Professor Jordan, and its fifty-eight determi- 

 nable species referred to eighteen genera. The species are 



