HARD VVICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



105 



percoid here described and figured, which is well 

 named the " Mud Sunfish ;" for indeed of all thick, 

 sluggish, and uninviting spots, those mostly fre- 

 quented by this fish take the lead. I have said as 

 much concerning the Mud Minnow {Umbra limi of 

 Gunther's "Catalogue of Eishes," vol. vi. p. 231), 

 and truly. The fact is, the two species are very 

 frequently associated, but the minnow being, even 

 when of maximum growth, the smaller fish, it can 

 thrive in shallower waters. 



February 22nd of the present year I went fishing 

 in a small stream fed by several large springs. At 

 this time it was quite clear of ice. The catch was, 

 with minnows and pilse, three fine specimens of 

 Ambloplites pomotis, which I successfully transferred 

 from the net to an aquarium, and since then I have 

 been making them the subject of an especial study. 

 Associated with them in the tank are several mud 

 minnows, and to preserve the water I have two 

 bunches of river- weed (Myriafrfum obtusum). 



Fig. 63. Mud Minnow (Melanura lima), nat. size. 



Fig-. 64. Mud Sunfish (Ambloplites pomotis), two-thirds nat. size. 



When taken from some mud-hole, the Mud Sun- 

 fish is a dull dirty brown and black creature, with 

 no trace of beauty in colour, and but little in form ; 

 but he is not in reality so ill in appearance as he 

 seemed at first. This our illustration shows.* 



* This sunfish was first described by Prof. Baird, who gives 

 as the colour, " dark greenish-olive, with three or four irre- 

 gular longitudinal bands of dull greenish-yellow, and occa- 

 sionally cloudy spots of golden green." 1 have never seen a 

 specimen precisely answering to this description. 



At the very outset, let me say that one would 

 hardly recognize these fish in the clear, cold water 

 of the aquarium as compared with specimens fresh 

 from the mud of their weed-grown homes. Instead 

 of a dark dull brown, with dingy black bands, they 

 are (i.e. my three specimens) really a bright chest- 

 nut-brown, with a golden tinge, and with markings 

 of quite a glossy black, showing in some lights a 

 rich purple tint. The head has always a decided 

 metallic lustre, and the fins are orange. (Prof. 



