PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 221 



name, which, so far as I know, was never published by Le Sueur, is thus 

 noticed by Cuvier and Valenciennes: 



"• M. Lesueur, croyant I'espece nouvelle, en a public une description 

 dans le Journal des sciences a Philadelphie, sous le nom de cichla vari- 

 abilis ; niais nous avous tout lien de croire que c'est ce poisson qui est 

 represents et decrit par M. de Lacepede (t. iv, p. 71G et 717, et pi. 5, fig. 

 2), sous le nom de lahre salmoide, d'apres des notes et une figure four- 

 uies par M, Bosc qui le nommait j^erca trutte. La figure en est un peu 

 rude, mais la description s'accorde avec ce que nous avons vu, sauf 

 quelques details, qui tienuent pent-etre moins an poisson meme qu'a la 

 maniere dont il a 6t6 observe." 



Later (vol. v, p. v), the type of Micropterus dolomieu was re-examined 

 and fully identified by Cuvier as a Grystes salmoides. 



It is thus evident that Cuvier and Valenciennes completely confounded 

 the two species under the name Grystes sahnoides, and that the uncer- 

 tain salmoides of Lacepede became in their hands a complex species. 

 We may perhaps say that their salmoides must be the fish described by 

 them, and that the figure is to be taken into consideration only when 

 other evidence is wanting. M. Vaillant, however, maintains that the 

 large-mouthed species should be considered as the salmoides of Cuvier 

 and Valenciennes, inasmuch as one of that species served as the type of 

 their published figure. 



The next writers who use the name salmoides (De Kay, Storer, etc.), 

 have merely copied or echoed the description of Cuvier and Valen- 

 ' ciennes, and have in no way given precision to the name. 



Later Agassiz uses the name ^^ salmoneus''^ (slip of the pen for "saZ- 

 ■moi<7es"?) apparently referring to the large-mouthed species. 



The description given by Dr. Giinther of Grystes salmoides in the Cat- 

 alogue of the Fishes of the British Museum, I, 252, adds nothing to the 

 precision of our knowledge of the species, the characters given being either 

 taken from Cuvier and Valenciennes, or else common to both species. 



Next a description is given of Grystes salmoides by Holbrook (Ich. S. 

 Car., p. 28, pi. 4, f. 2), accompanied by an excellent figure, which leaves no 

 possible doubtof the species intended. This is the large-mouthed Bass. 



Omitting ])apers of lesser importance, we come finally to the very able 

 discussion of these questions by Professor Gill (Proc. Am. Ass. Adv. 

 Sci., 1873, p. 55-72), iu which the whole subject is exhaustively treated, 

 and the name Micropterus salmoides is definitely adopted for the small- 

 mouthed Black Bass. This arrangement has been followed by most 

 recent ichthyologists. In an important paper just now passing through 

 the press (Mission Scientifique an Mexique), however, Messrs. Vaillant 

 and Bocourt liaA^e adopted the name Micropterus salmoides for the large- 

 mouthed species, for the reasons indicated above. 



This question resolves itself into two. Is the specific name salmoides 

 available for either species! and if so, for which? 

 Between the publication of the works of Lacepede and Cuvier both 



