AMERICAN PARASITIC ARGVLID.^E- WILSON. 649 



found by the author in al)undance in the Connecticut Kiver and its 

 tributaries near Springtield and Chicopee, far above tide water, and 

 also in several small ponds and streams farther east in the State. 



The 'ability to use almost any lish for a temporary host affords a 

 reasonable explanation of the appearance of many species in the host 

 lists whose presence would otherwise be difficult of explanation, as, 

 for example, the frog- tadpoles of A. foUaceus, etc. 



It also readily explains why the Arguli should be found on nuid- 

 loving and bottom-frequenting species during the breeding seasons, 

 while they rarely occur on the same species at other times. A study 

 of the lists herewith presented (p. 704) will show that the place to 

 look for these parasites during the breeding seasons is upon those lish 

 which remain at or near the bottom where the Arguli go to deposit 

 their eggs, while at other times the same parasites may be found only 

 upon entirely different fish. 



In consequence of such nomadic habits I heartily indorse Claus's 

 remark that it is entirely unfitting to designate any species of Argulus 

 by the name of the fish upon which it may be found. Later observa- 

 tion has always added other hosts and has often produced a long list 

 like that iov foUaceus, laticauda, and megalops. And in the majority 

 of instances the first host has not proved to be the true one. Indeed, 

 from the data and experiments here presented, it will be seen that in 

 order to determine what species, if any, is to be regarded as really the 

 host of an Argulus will require careful observation extending over 

 at least a year. 



The names already given to American species derived from the 

 name of their host have been especially unfortunate. In Gould's A. 

 alosae, Alosa was the name given by Cuvier to the shad upon which 

 this parasite has not yet been found. 



Again, the A. catostonii of Dana and Herrick proves to be far more 

 common on Erimyzon than upon Catostomus. 



The A. fundull of Kroyer is based upon a single specimen taken 

 from a species oi Fundulus (named F. limhatus by Kroyer) in the 

 vicinity of New Orleans. As we have just seen, there is the possibility 

 if not the probability that this parasite may have sought the Fmidu- 

 lus as a temporary host during or after egg laying. And the size of 

 the female which is here for the first time described precludes any con- 

 sideration of a species of Fundidus as its permanent host. 



In contrast with these misnomers Smith's new species, latux, lati- 

 cauda, and megalops, were fortunately based upon specimens taken at 

 or near the surface, and whose hosts were wholly unknown. Profit- 

 ing by these experiences the new species here described have been 

 given names in no way connected with their host, and yet one of them 

 {versicolor) has been found as yet only upon a single species of fish, 

 Lucius reticulatus Le Sueur. 



