ABRAMIS BREAMS 125 



1 . 9 in its length ; interorbital space little convex, 2 . 3 to 2 . 6 in head ; eye 

 3 . 1 to 3 . 7, a little longer than the snout, but less than the interorbital 

 space; nose short and blunt, 3.2 to 3.8 in head, the extremely oblique 

 mouth giving it a tumed-up or "snubbed" appearance; mouth extremely 

 small and verv' oblique, making an angle of less than 30° with the ver- 

 tical; maxillarv 3.7 to 4.6 in head, shorter than the eye and scarcely 

 reaching anterior nostril; upper lip almost or quite on a level with upper 

 margin of pupil; jaws about equal; isthmus less than pupil. Teeth 5-5 

 or 4-5, verv slender, strongly hooked, and sharply and irregularly cre- 

 natc; intestine about .9 of length of head and body; peritoneum very 

 lightlv specked with dusky. Dorsal fin with 8 or 9 rays, inserted a little 

 behind front of ventrals, but nearer muzzle than base of caudal; longest 

 dorsal rav 1 to 1 .3 in head; anal rays 8; pectorals §, or more, to ventrals; 

 ventrals to or slightlv past vent. Scales 6, 38-40, 4 ; lateral line variously 

 imperfect, sometimes present only on the first 4 or 5 scales, sometimes 

 extending, with numerous interruptions, to the middle of the caudal 

 peduncle; slightly decurved anteriorly; 15-18 scales before dorsal. 



This is a southern species in general range, distributed from 

 Ohio through Indiana and Illinois to Georgia, Arkansas, and 

 Oklahoma, and in our collections is relatively much the most 

 abundant from southern Illinois. Northward it has been taken 

 almost wholly along the larger rivers— the Illinois, the Mississippi, 

 and the Rock. It is mainly a species of creeks and ponds with 

 us, however, although more than usually abundant from the 

 larger rivers also. Females greatly distended wdth eggs, and 

 tuberculate males in high spring color, have been taken by us 

 about Meredosia betw^een the 10th and the 20th of June. 



Genus ABRAMIS Cuvier 

 (breams) 



Body deep and strongly compressed; belly before ventrals forming a 

 keel over which the scales do not pass; mouth oblique or horizontal; pre- 

 maxillary protractile; no barbels; teeth 5-5, hooked and with grinding 

 surface; alimentary canal short; peritoneum (in American species) pale; 

 dorsal rays 8 to 10 ; anal typically long, with 20 to 40 rays in the European 

 species; American forms with anal shorter, the rays 9 to 18; scales 39 to 

 55; lateral line developed. Size rather large,* the American bream 

 reaching a length of 12 inches. Species numerous, inhabiting both 

 Europe and North America; American forms 1 (or 2); distributed from 

 Nova Scotia to Texas. 



* The common bream of Europe (Abramis brama) has been known to attain 

 a weight of 12 lb in some of the Irish lakes. 



