102 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



tlioraciques sans appendices, a 7 rayons dont 1 epineux, anus posterieur. Le 

 type de ce genre est un beau et excellent poisson de l'Ohio, A. grunniens, qui 

 pese quelque fois jusqu' a 301iv., et que 1'ony nonime Ohio Perch, ou Grunting 

 Perch (Perche grognante,) parce qu'il produit souvent un grognement particu- 

 lier. Entiereinent argente, a rennets dores, ligne laterale conrbe posterieure- 

 ment, queue lunulee, 1 rayon dorsal et anal extremernent court, 2 rayons des 



2 



tlioraciques mucrones. D. 9, 35. A. . P. 18. C. 20. Ce genre est voisin du 



7 

 genre Scuena, les opercules et nageoires ecailleux Pen distinguent. 



16. Amblodon (Abdominal). Different du genre Catastomus. Machoire in- 

 ferieure pavee de dents osseuses serrees, arrondies, a couronne plate, inegales. 

 Les poissons de ce genre, qui abondent dans l'Ohio, le Missouri et le Missis- 

 sipi, sont distingues par le nom vulgaire de Buffalo-fish (Poisson buflle,) et les 

 Frangois de la Louisiane les nomment Piconeau. II y en plusieurs esp^ces qui 

 parviennent souventa une tres grosse taille. Les deux suivans habitent dans 

 l'Ohio. 1. A. bubalus, Brunchiatre, pale dessous, Joues blanchatres, D. 28, 

 A. 12, P. 16, A. 19, C. 24. L' A. niger est entieremeut noir ; tous deux ont 

 la ligne laterale droite, queue bilobee, tete tronquee, etc. lis sont tres-bons 

 a manger. 



After a perusal of the above descriptions, there can be no doubt that if they 

 alone are consulted, the name of Aplodinotus must be retained. But it is with 

 much reluctance that that name is adopted, and only in obedience to the in- 

 exorable law of priority. The name of Amblodon is most appropriate and cor- 

 rectly formed, while Aplodinotus is both vague and erroneously compounded. 

 It is not quite certain how the name is derived. Agassiz, in his ' ' Nomina 

 Systematica Generum Piscium " derives it from office simple, and vanoc back; 

 a far more probable derivation is from Uirhois, *foc, a simple cloak to fit the body, 

 and vam;, the back, in allusion to the scaly coating of the base of the 

 second dorsal fin, which Rafinesque considered as the character which chiefiy 

 distinguished the genus from Scitena. Had he derived it as Agassiz suggests, 

 he would have undoubtedly written Aplonotus. Accepting the above as the 

 true etymology, the orthography of Huploidonotus is adopted as more correct. 



It is advisable to state that there are three errors in Rafinesque's short 

 diagnosis of "Aplodinotus" which need to be corrected. There are seven 

 instead of six branchiostegal rays ; there is a spine in front of the second dorsal 

 fin, as was afterwards mentioned in the description of Amblodon iu the Ichthy- 

 ologia Ohiensis ; there is the normal number of ventral rays, and not one 

 spine, and six soft rays. The last error is almost excusable in such an observer 

 as Rafinesque, for the external branch of the first ray is much developed, and 

 resembles somewhat the large simple ray of a pectoral or caudal fin. 



Adopting the name of Huploidonotus for the genus, it is taken as the type of 

 the subfamily, whose characters, as well as those of its two genera, are now 

 given. 



Subfamily Haploidonotin^; Gill. 



The body is oblong and suboval, highest at the front of the spinous dorsal 

 fin ; the ante-dorsal region convex. 



The head is oblong, with the occipito-nasal profile very oblique, and the 

 snout high and more or less convex. The upper jaw is longer than the lower. 

 The supramaxillary bones are mostly retractile under the suborbitars, and 

 cease before the vertical of the end of the orbit. The margin of the snout 

 between the preorbital bones has four small oblique incisions. There are five 

 pores beneath the chin. 



The first dorsal fin is longer than high, and commences nearly over the 

 bases of the pectorals ; it is connected with the second by a very low mem- 

 brane. 



[May, 



