986 Bulletin 4y, United States National Museum. 



gg. Lingual teeth in two patches; gill rakers about 20; most of the mem- 

 brane bones of the head serrate; lower point of opcrcle striate, 

 the striaj ending in sharp points. Archoplites, 454. 



J'. Opercle ending in a black convex process or flap; anal spines 3; preopercle 

 entire. CHiENOBKTTTUS, 45.5. 



dd. Tongiie and pterygoids toothless; mouth small, the maxillary barely reaching past 

 middle of eye. 

 h. Caudal convex; opercle eraarginate, without flap. 



i. Dorsal flu continuous, normally with 9 spines; anal normally with 3 spines. 



Enneacanthus, 450. 



ii. Dorsal fin angulated, some of the median spines elevated; dorsal spines 10; 



anal 3. Mesogonistius, 457. 



hh. Caudal margin concave; opercle prolonged behind in a convex process or flap 



which is always black; dorsal spines normally 10; anal 3. 



j. Supplemental bone of maxillary perfectly distinct. Apomotis, 458. 



jj. Supplemental bone of maxillary rudimentary or wanting. 



k. Lower pharyngeals narrow, the teeth usually sharp, not conical. 



Lepomis, 459. 



kk. Lower pharyngeals broad and concave, especially in the adult; teeth 



more or less blunt and paved. Eupomotis, 400. 



MlCROPTERINiE : 



cc. Body comparatively elongate, the depth in the adult about i".^ the length; dorsal fin 

 low, deeply emarginate, with 10 spines; mouth large; caudal lunate. 



Micro PTERus, 401. 



450. POMOXIS, Eafinesque. 

 (Crappies.) 



Pomoxis, BAFINEi?QliE, Amer. Month. Mag., 1818, 41, (^annularis). 

 Pomozys, Holbrook, Ichth. South Carolina, 29, 1800, (change of spelling). 

 HyperisUus, Gill, Amer. Journ. Sci. and Arts, 1804, 92, (hexacanlhns = carol inensis). 



Body more or less elongate, strongly compressed, the snout projecting. 

 Mouth large, oblique ; maxillary broad, with a well-developed supple- 

 mental bone. Teeth on vomer, palatines, entopterygoids, and tongue. 

 Lower pharyngeals narrow, with sharp teeth. Gill rakers long and slen- 

 der, numerous. Opercle emarginate ; preopercle and preorbital finely 

 serrated. Scales large, feebly ctenoid. Fins large, the anal larger than 

 dorsal, of 6 spines and about 17 rays ; dorsal with 6 to 8 graduated spines, 

 the spinous dorsal shorter than the soft part ; caudal fin emarginate ; pec- 

 torals rounded or obtusely pointed, with 15 or 16 rays, the upper longest. 

 Ventrals close together, each with a strong spine. Branchiostegals 7. 

 Lateral line complete, the tubes straight and extending at least on the 

 anterior half at the exposed surface of the scale. Posterior processes of 

 the premaxillaries not extending to the frontals ; supraoccipital and 

 parietal crest very strong produced forward on the frontals to between the 

 orbits; vertebne 18 + 15 = 33. (mo/Lia, opercle; ofrc", sharp ; the opercle 

 ending in two flat points instead of an "ear-flap.") 



a. Dorsal spines 0, rarely 5; anal fin plain; profile uf bead more strongly S-shaped than in 



sparoides. ANNULARIS, 1381. 



aa. Dorsal spines 7, rarely 8; anal fin strongly reticulated. sparoides, 1382. 



