Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of N'orth America. 1073 



of head. Mouth very small, subinferior, the lower jaw inchuled. Lenj^th 

 of maxillary eciualing distance from tip of snout to anterior nostril. Pre- 

 niaxillaries not protractile, the fold of upper lip interrupted by a very 

 narrow frenum, as is the case in some specimens of Ulocentra simotera, 

 to which species the present one is really closely related. Vomer with 

 teeth. Opercular spine very little developed, the opercle terminating in 

 a flat point, scarcely projecting beyond the membrane. Gill membranes 

 very widely joined across isthmus, the width of the union being | dis- 

 tance from posterior margin of membrane to tip of lower jaw. Eye small, 

 high up. Spiuous dorsal long and rather low, composed of stitF spines, 

 the membrane of last spine joining base of first soft ray ; the middle spines 

 the highest, about half length of head ; second dorsal shorter and higher 

 than the first, much larger than the small anal fin, its longest ray 1| 

 in head. Anal spines short and robust, the first longei thau second ; long- 

 est anal ray about equaling length of snout; caudal lunate; pectorals 

 very large, reaching much beyond ventrals, about/i length of body. Ven- 

 trals equaling distance I'rom snout to base of pectorals ; least depth of 

 caudal peduncle § depth of body. Body covered with very large scales, 

 those on nape somewhat smaller ; head and breast wholly naked ; lateral 

 line complete, straight. Color in life : Light olive green above, with 4 con- 

 spicuous blackish-brown cross bars, narrower than the interspaces, run- 

 ning from back downward and forward to below lateral line ; the first, 

 very broad, occupies the entire nape, and terminates above base of pec- 

 torals ; the second, much narrower, begins below end of spinous dorsal ; 

 the third below last rays of soft dorsal ; the last bar much less conspicu- 

 ous on back of caudal peduncle. On middle of each light interspace is a 

 similar, somewhat broader bar, less clearly marked, and with ill-defined 

 boundaries, these bars terminating below lateral line in 7 or 8 dusky 

 blotches ; each scale on back and sides with the central portion light red, 

 changing to golden brown in spirits ; belly and lower fourth of sides sil- 

 very white; two bright areas at base of caudal, with a blackish bar 

 immediately behind them ; caudal indistinctly barred with dusky. Dor- 

 sals translucent, the membrane between each 2 rays with an elongate 

 dusky-red blotch, extending f height of fin; spinous dorsal margined 

 with light red; pectorals barred with dusky and light yellowish; ven- 

 trals with traces of similar bars ; anal translucent, an indistinct yellow- 

 ish band along its middle. Length 2^ inches. Northern Alabama, in 

 small streams tributary to the Tennessee River ; not common ; a strongly 

 marked species. (Blennius, a blenny, from the form of the head.) 



Elheostoma (Rhothifca) blcmuns, Gilbert & Swain, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mtis., 1887, 55, Cox's Creek 

 and Shoal Creek, tributary to the Tennessee River, Florence, Alabama. 'Type, 

 No. 36187. Coll. Gilbert & Swain); Gilbekt, Bull. U. S. Fish Cumm., i.\, 1889 (.1891). l^O. 



1459. ETHEOSTOMA RUPESTKE, Gilbert & Swain. 



Head 3* to 4 ; depth 5|. D. XI or XII-11 or 12; A. II, 7 or 8; scales 

 50 to 57, 6 or 7 series above lateral line. Closely related to Etheostoma 

 thalassinum, from which it may be distinguished by its more slender form, 



F. N. A. 69 



