FAMILY CYPRINIOE LEUCISCUS. 209 



THE SHINING DACE. 



Leuciscus nitidus. 

 PLATE XXXIII. FIG. 105 — (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Characteristics. Body silvery white. Head with mucous pores. Tail deeply emarginate, not 

 furcate. Length two to ten inches. 



Description. Body rather deep, compressed, elongate. Scales large, caducous, orbicular ; 

 the free margins festooned with elevated radiate striate lines, the intervals being concentrically 

 striate ; the scales ascend some distance up the caudal fin. There are seven scales in an 

 oblique line from the first dorsal ray to the lateral line, and five below. Forty-six were counted 

 along the lateral line, which is curved downward, and concurrent with the abdomen. Head 

 small, smooth and scaleless ; flattened above, with a curved series of mucous pores on each 

 side above the eyes, extending to the nostrils, and are apparently continuations of the lateral 

 line. Eyes moderate, 03 in diameter and 0'65 apart. Length of the head 1*6. Nostrils 

 contiguous ; the posterior largest, with a valvular membrane. Snout blunt ; under jaw shortest, 

 both edentate. Sharp teeth in the pharyngeals. Tongue conspicuous, attached, with trans- 

 verse rugae. The same rugae, with slightly pectinated margins, in the roof of the mouth. 

 Stomach capacious. Air-bladder double ; the posterior portion longest. 



The dorsal fin quadrate, higher than long, and commencing rather nearer the end of the 

 snout than to the base of the caudal ; the anterior ray longest. Pectorals small, slender and 

 pointed, placed below the angle of the opercle. Ventrals beneath the dorsal ; the second and 

 third rays longest. The anal commences half an inch behind the tips of the ventrals, emargi- 

 nate, with its second and third rays longest. Caudal fin deeply emarginate, not forked. 



Color. Upper part of the head and body olive brown ; the former darker. Sides silvery. 

 Pupil black, with a silvery ring. Gill-covers lustrous silvery. Pectoral fins tinged with light 

 yellow, reddish on its inner base. Dorsal and caudal fins brownish. On the small specimens 

 only did we notice a bright greenish stripe above the lateral line, which appeared only in 

 certain lights. 



Length, 2" - 10*0. 



Fin rays, D. 8 ; P. 16 ; V. 10 ; A. 9 ; C. 19 f . 



This species was taken in July, in Lake Champlain, where it appeared to be common. It 

 was called there, White Dace and Shiner. 



Fauna — Part 4. 27 



