1066 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



more quiescent, swimming less freely for a distance, but lying at rest for 

 some time, then moving with sudden jerks. In this series bright blue or 

 red coloration in the males is more frequently observed. We begin the 

 series with the chief group, Etheostoma, a group from which as a whole 

 Radroptcrus can scarcely be separated. 



475. ETHEOSTOMA, Rafinesque. 



Etheosloma, Rafinesqi^e, Journ. lie Physique., etc., Paris, 1819, 419, {caprodes, llennioides, flcJiel- 

 lare; first restricted by AoAssiz, 1854, to agpro, wrongly identified as "blennioides;" restricted 

 by Cope & Jordan, 1877, to Jlahellare). 



PacUosoma, AoASSiz, Lake Superior, 1850, 299, (varialus) (name preoccupied). 



Poecilichthys, Agassiz, American Journal Sci. and Arts, 1854, 305, (variatus). 



Catonoliis, A(3A8Siz, American Journal Sci. and Arts, 1854, 305, (flabellatus). 



Oligocephalm, Girard, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 67, {lepidun). 



Nothonolus, Agassiz, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., i, 3, 1863, {mactdatus). 



Aslatichthys, Vaillant, Eeclierches sur los Etbeostomatina, 107, 1873, (cierrdeus). 



Nanosionia, Putnam MS., Jordan, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, 6, 1877, {zonalis) (not JNannostoniiM, 



GiJNTHER). 



RJiothceca, Jordan, Kept. U. S. Fish Comm., 1885, 868 {zonalis, substitute for Nanostoma, regarded 



as preoccupied by Nannostonnts). 

 Torrentaria, Jordan & Evermann, new subgenus, (amtrale). 

 Nivicola, Jordan & Evermann, new subgenus, (boreale). 

 Rajinesquiellm, Jordan & Evermann, new subgenus, (poUtii). 

 Claricula, Jordan & Evermann, new subgenus, (julix). 



Body robust, or rather elongate, compressed. Mouth terminal, or sub- 

 inferior, varying in size ; the lower jaw included or not ; premaxillaries 

 not protractile ; maxillary movable. Teeth rather strong, usually present 

 on vomer and palatines. Gill membranes separate or more or less broadly 

 connected. Scales moderate or small, ctenoid ; top of head without scales ; 

 scales of the middle line of the belly persistent and similar to the others ; 

 lateral line well developed, nearly straight, often wanting posteriorly ; 

 fins large, with strong spines ; first dorsal usually longer and larger than 

 the second, with 7 to 15 spines ; anal with 2 strong spines, the anterior 

 usually the larger, the second rarely obsolete ; anal fin always smaller than 

 the soft dorsal ; ventral fins more or less close together. Skull narrow, 

 the parietal region very strongly convex in cross section ; supraoccipital 

 crest very small or wanting ; lower pharyngeals very narrow. Vertebrie 

 33 to 39, usually 15 + 21^36. Pyloric cffica 3 or 4. Bones rather firm. 

 Coloration various, often brilliant. As here understood, a very large 

 genus covering a great variety of forms. Many attempts at further sub- 

 division have been made and some of the subgeiiera indicated below 

 have been considered of generic value. Intergradations of all sorts 

 occur and the technical characters do not always indicate the real rela- 

 tionship. Many of the species are excessively variable, each brook having 

 its peculiar race. (The word Etheostoma is stated by Eafinesque to mean 

 "various mouths," the species known to him, i. e., Percina caprodes, 

 DijyJesion bleunioides, and Etheostoma JiahcUare, being so diff'erent in respect 

 of the form of the mouth that he conceived that they might belong to 

 difierent subgenera. The etymology of the word is not evident, unless 



