S3 



It will appear that this fish differs so widely from the for(?g(» 

 ing, as to be hardly reducible to the same genus; but its great 

 similarity with the Perca Mitchelli has compelled me to retain 

 it in this genus, notvvitstandmg many peculiar characters. I 

 ■shall however venture to propose a new subgenus or section in 

 the genus Perca for this lish, to which the P. JMitchelU^ may 

 perhaps be found to belong. It may be called Leiiibema and 

 distinguished by the scaly bases of the caudal, anal, and second 

 dorsal fins, this last with some spiny rays, and all the three parts 

 of the gill cover more or less serrulate, besides the small teeth. 



The Perca Sahnonea may also form a peculiar subgenus, or 

 section distinguished by the cylindrical shape of the body, long 

 head and jaws, large teeth, and a second spine outside of the 

 opercule over the base of the pectoral fins. It may be called 

 Stizostedion, which means pungent throat. I could have made 

 peculiar genera of each of them, under the proposed names; but 

 as they otherwise agree with the reduced genus Perca^ I have 

 preferred delaying this innovation until more species are found 

 possessing the same distinctions, in which case my two perches 

 33iay thenbe called Stizoatedion salmoneum^ and Leiiibema chry- 

 sofis. 



3d Species. Black dotted Perch. Perca nigrojiunctata 

 Perche a-points-noirs. 



Upper jaw longer; body brown, covered aU over with black 

 dotts, breadth one sixth of the length, lateral line nearly straight 

 the anal fins very long, tail truncate. I have not seen this spe- 

 cies, I describe it from a drawing made by Mr. Audubon. I anx 

 therefore doubtful, whether it is a real perch, particularly since- 

 the drawing does not show the serratures and spines of the gill 

 cover. It might be a Sciena^ or a Dipteroden, yet the shape of 

 the body and the distant dorsal fins, induce me to rank it with 

 the G. Perca until better known; when it may even turn out t^ 

 be a peculiar genus, which the flexuose opercule, long anal fin 

 and vent in the middle of the body, seem to indicate, and should 

 it be a real perch, it must form a peculiar subgenus, which ma-j 

 he cixWed Po mac a 7n/i sis in either case. The vulgar names of 

 this fish are Black Perch, Widow's Perch, Dotted Bass, Black 

 Bass, Batchelor's Perch, 8;c. It is found only in the lower parts 



