16 NEW- YORK FAUNA. 



GENUS PILEOMA. 



With two distinct dorsals. Preopercle smooth. Opercle pointed, with a feeble flattened 

 spine. Ventrals with five soft rays. Teeth uniform in size. 



Obs. In order to prevent confusion, I have deemed it proper to place this small species in 

 a separate group ; believing, with Cuvier, that such a course is to be preferred, rather than 

 to change the characters of another genus in order to force it into a group to which, in other 

 respects, it may be a total stranger. I am unable to satisfy myself as to its true position in 

 this family, but its smooth opercle would seem to indicate its vicinity to the genus Huro. 



THE CHAMPLAIN PICKERING. 



PlLEOMA SEMIFASCIATUM. 

 PLATE L. FIG. 162. — (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Characteristics. Small. Olive green, with numerous bands of a darker hue over the back. 

 Length two to four inches. 



Description. Body oblong, cylindrical. Scales moderate, denticulated, very small on the 

 preopercle, larger on the opercle, nearly uniform on the remaining parts of the body ; thir- 

 teen rows above and eight below the lateral line, enumerated in the centre of the body. 

 Lateral line distinct and nearly straight. Head small, sloping. Eyes rather large, with the 

 supra-orbital margins prominent. B ranchial membrane with seven flattened rays. Preopercle 

 nearly rectangular, smooth. Opercle terminating in a soft flat point ; just anterior to this 

 point, is a small flat spine. Lower jaw shortest; gape moderate. Jaws armed with feeble 

 subequal teeth ; indistinct vestiges of teeth on the vomer and palatines, more manifest on the 

 pharyngeals. 



The first dorsal fin commences above the base of the ventrals, and is composed of eleven 

 subequal spinous rays, the posterior rays gradually diminishing in length. At an interval of 

 02, commences the second dorsal, higher than the first, and containing fifteen branched rays. 

 Pectoral fins broad and rounded. Slightly behind this fin, arises the ventral, which is long and 

 pointed. Anal fin longer than high, originating a little behind the commencement of the second 

 dorsal, and composed of twelve annulated rays. Caudal broad, and very slightly emarginated : 

 in some individuals, nearly even. 



Color. The general hue is pale greenish-olive, becoming lighter towards the abdomen. A 

 series of about twenty dark olive or brownish stripes across the back, alternately but not 

 regularly longer, and becoming dilated on the vertebral line. Gill-covers metallic green and 

 gold. Pupils purplish ; irides silvery. A dark round spot at the base of the caudal. Dorsals 

 dark brownish, resulting from numerous minute dark spots on their membranes. Caudal fin 

 with four or five dark vertical bands. 



