306 FISHES OF ILLINOIS 



Its food, SO far as known, is similar to that of most of the other 

 members of the family, consisting mainly of larvae of small Diptera, 

 Chironomus larvae predominating. 



Males and females in breeding colors, the latter greatly distended 

 with eggs, have been taken by us in late May and early June. 



ETHEOSTOMA CAMURUM (Cope) 

 (blue-breasted darter) 



Cope, 1870, Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. Phila., 265 (Poecilichthys). 



J. & G.. 506 (Nothonotus) ; M. V., 130; B., I, 69; ]. & E., I, 1076; X., 34 (Pcecilich- 

 thys niger); J., 41 (Nothonotus) ; L.. 28. 



This darter has been taken in the White River basin in Indiana 

 by Dr. Jordan. Although reported by Mr. Thomas Large* from 

 Peoria, from Union county, and from the Saline and lower Wabash 

 basins, it is not now represented in our collections. A single speci- 

 men thought to belong to this species was presented to this Labora- 

 tory by Mr. J. P. Baur, of the United States Fish Commission, 

 who took it from a pond near Naples, Illinois, but it was unfortu- 

 nately lost before the preliminary identification could be verified. 



The species ranges, so far as known, from Lake Erie to Tennessee 

 in clear swift water. 



ETHEOSTOMA IOW.E Jordan & Meek 



Jordan & Meek, 1885, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 10. 

 M. v., 133; B., I, 72 (ioae) ; J. & E., I, 1083; L., 28. 



Length 2 inches; body rather long, more slender than other Illinois 

 species of Etheostoma; depth 5.4 to 6.8, usually not over 6; greatest 

 width of body about § its greatest depth; depth caudal peduncle 2.3 to 

 2 . 8 in its length. Color of sides and upper parts light green, finely blotched 

 with darker; back with 8 or 9 small and rather obscure quadrate blotches 

 of clove-brown color; sides with 9 to 1 1 clove-brown bars, short and some- 

 what broken, extending above lateral line half way to back and below 

 it half way to belly (the bars are greenish in pale specimens), squarish 

 blotches of rusty red alternating with the bars; belly greenish yellow 

 to almost white, overlaid between base of pectoral and anal fin with an 

 orange band or a row of blotches of same color; sides and top of head 

 with dark brown vermiculations and bands of brown; a band of brown 

 before eye and one below it; upper half of spinous dorsal, except margin, 

 a brilliant orange, above and below which is clove-brown to light green ; 

 pectorals, soft dorsal, and caudal fins barred brown in the rays; ventrals 



*"A List of the Native Fishes of Illinois, with Keys," by Thomas Large. Rep. 

 111. State Fish Comm., Sept. 30, 1900. to Oct. 1, 1902. 



