110 Bulletin 77, United States National Museum. 



silvery below ; vertical lius aud posterior part of the body with round 

 black spots, which are more distinct in the yonng; very young with a 

 blackish lateral baud. Head 3 in length; depth 12. D. 8; A. 9; V. 6; 

 P. 10. Lat. line about 62. L. about 5 feet. Great Lakes and rivers of the 

 United States from Vermont to the Kio Grande; generally abundant and 

 quite variable, the local variations having given rise to many specific 

 names.* Southern specimens are often more distinctly spotted. A de- 

 tailed comparison of many specimens, from different parts of the country, 

 will probably show the existence of recognizable subspecies, but this 

 comparison is yet to be made, (osseus, bony.) 



Esux osseiif, LiNN.EiJ.s, Sjst. Nat., EJ. x, 1758, 313, after Artedi, based ou Achk majcima squamosa 



viridis, tho Green Gar Fish of Catesby, 1738, pi. 30, Virginia. 

 Esox viridis, Gmelin, Sj'st. Nat., 1389, 1788, also after Catesby. 



Lepisosleus gamihi:, LAcf:piii)E, Hist. Poiss., v, 333, 1803, "lakes and rivers of both Indies." 

 Lepisoslens oxyiirua, Rafinesque, Iclith. Oh., 73, 182U, Ohio River. 

 Lepisosle>ts longironlris, Kafinesquk, !. c, 74, 1820, Ohio River. 

 LepisnslennhurfmenaiK, "Rich ARDSOU, Fauna Bor. Ainer., ui, 237, 183G; Penetanguishene, Lake 



Huron; Guntheu, Cat., viii, 330, 1870. 

 Lepidosteus gracUis, AoASSiz, Poissous Fossiles, il, 2, 1836. 

 Lepidoslem osseus GiiNTHEit, Cat, viii, 330, 1870. 

 Lepisosteussemiradidltis, AcjASSiz, I. c, ii, 2, plate 2, 1836. 

 Lepidosleus osseus, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 91, 1S83. 



Sarchinis i't<(a(»s, and Sarchirus argenteits, Rafinesque, Ichth. Oh.,8G, 1820, (young), Ohio River. 

 liepisosteus bison, De Kay, New York Fauna: Fishes, 271, 1842, Buffalo, New York. 

 Lepisosleus linealus, Thompson, Hist. Vermont, 145, 1842, Lake Champlain. 

 MacrognaOms loriealus, Gronow, Cat. Fish., 148, 1854, after Linnieus. 

 Lepidosleus leptorhynchns, Girard, Pac. R. R. Expl., 351, 1858, Devil River, Texas. 

 Lepidosleus erassus, Cope, Pros. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila., 18iJ5, 8(1, Bombay Hook, Delaware River. 

 Lepidosleus olarius. Cope, I. c, 86, ' ' Platte River near Fort Riley;" but Fort Riley was ou the 



the Kansas River. 



Subgenus CYLINDROSTEUS, Rafinesque. 



152. LEPISOSTEUS PLATOSTOMUS, Raflnesque. 



(Short-nosed Gab.) 



Snout usually about i longer than the rest of the head, sometimes about 

 equal to it, its length 5 to 6 times its least width. Colors of L. osseus or 

 rather darker. Head 3^ in length ; depth 8. D. 8 ; A. 8 ; V. 6. Lat. line 

 about 56. L. 2 to 3 feet. Great Jjakes and southern and western rivers, 

 with the preceding, but less abundant northward. Still more variable 

 than the preceding; possibly more than 1 species confounded; not al- 

 ways readily distinguishable from the young of the next. (Tr/lnrif, broad ; 

 ardiia, mouth.) 



Lepisosleus platosloiuus, Rafinesque, Ichth. Oh., 72, 1820, Ohio River. 



Lepisosleus albus, Rafinesque, /. c, 73, Ohio River. 



Lepisosleus platyslomus, Gunthee, Cat., vill, 329, 1870; Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 91, 1883. 



*1H. Auguste Dumeril (Hist. Nat. Poiss., Vol. ii, 1870) divides this species, as represented in 

 the Museum at Paris, into 17, which are distinguished by tiiHing differences iu proportions and 

 numbers of scales. His new names are L. Ii-fciili, Mississippi, 327; L. milberli, New York, 

 328; L. harlmti, Wabash River, 329; L. aniillii, upper Mississippi, 330; />. niiresi, Wabash 

 River, 331; 1.. lap^i, northern North America, 332; /.. lesiti'uii, Wabash River, 335; L. 

 eli.mlielli, no locality, 3311; L. hiiuari, northern North America, 337; L. cliuloiiii, no lo- 

 cality, 338; /,. h-noxli, United States, 339; L. iniinoliaiiux. Lake Erie, 340; L. horatii, north- 

 ern North America, 341; L. thompiuni, upper Mississippi, 342; L. louisianensis, New 

 Orleans, 344. 



