478 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 
very broad, sometimes almost wanting; the flap half or more longer 
than the eye in the adult, much shorter in the young, its develop- 
ment subject to great variation. Brilliant blue and orange; the back 
chietly blue; the belly entirely orange, the orange on the sides in spots, 
the blue in wavy vertical streaks; lips blue; cheeks orange, with bright- 
blue stripes; blue strii)es before eye; iris red; soft parts of vertical tins 
with the rays blue and the membranes orange; ventrals dusky. Head 
without flap, 3 in length; depth D. X, 10; A. Ill, 8; scales 5- 
38-14. L. G inches. Michigan to Miunesota,.South Carolina, and Mex- 
ico; veiy abundant in most streams. One of our most brightly-colored 
fishes. Extremely variable: the young are often elliptical in form, and 
the size at which the characteristic ear-flap is developed varies greatly 
with ditterent individuals. We have thus far failed to distinguish any 
tangible varieties. Some Southern specimens have the ear-flap longer 
{fallax)] some Xortheru ones have the scales rather larger {inscrqytus), 
or the margin of the ear-flap broader than usual (pcltastes), or wanting 
altogether (lythrochloris). Some Southern specimens (breviceps) have a 
dusky spot on the last rays of dorsal. These characters gradually dis- 
appear on examination of a large series.* 
(Ichthelis megaJotis Raf. Iclitli. Oli. 1820,29: Xenolis megaloUs Jordan, Man. Veit. ed. 2, 
242: Ichfhclis anrita Raf. Icli. Oli. 1820, 29, not Lahriis auritiis L. : Lepomis miritus Cope, 
Jonrn. Acad. N^at. Sci. Phila. 1808, 220: Xenolis lythrochloris Jordan, Ball, U. S. Nat. 
]\Ins. X, 40: Pomoiis nilida Kirtland, Bost. Jonrn. Nat. Hist, iii, 472; Foniolis fallax 
Baird & Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 24; Pomoiis fallax Girard, U. S. 
Pac. R. R. Snrv. Fish. 27: Pomoiis rubricaitda Giinther, i, 2(52: Pomoiis hrcviccps B. & 
G. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1853, 390: Pomoiis popei Girard, U. S. Pac. R. R. Snrv. 
Fish. X, 26: Pomoiis sanyinnolenius Agass. Amer. Jonrn. Sci. Arts, 18.54, 302; Xcnoiis solis 
Jordan, Ball. U.' S. Nat. Mas. x, 22, not Pomoiis solis C. & V.; Pomoiis convexifrons 
Baird As Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854,24; AThoO’s ai/reo/ws Jordan, Bull. 
U. S. Nat. Mas. x, 41: Pomoiis inscrijjins Agassiz, Anier. Jonrn. Sci. Arts, 1854, 302: 
Xenoiis inscriptus .Jordan, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. x, 42: Lepomis peltastes Cope, Proc. 
Amer. Phil. Soc. Phila. 1870, 454; McKay, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas. iv, 89.) 
’3'4§« El, margaBjatoas (Holbr.) McKay. 
Body short and deep. Snout shorter than the diameter of the eye, 
the maxillary extending to the orbit. Paired fins rather long. Color 
olive, with darker vertical bars; head and body with numerous bluish- 
green spots; opercular appendi:: bordered with green. Head 3; depth 
2. D. (IX) X, 12; A. Ill, lU. Piurida; {Holhroolc.) 
{Pomoiis inargiiiatus Holbr. Jonrn. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1855, 49: Pomoiis margi- 
natns Giinther, i, 264.) 
'S' -19. E. bOBBBbiffi’oiBS (Agass.) Jor. 
Body rather short and deep, with the profile very steep and the back 
very much arched, the greatest depth of the body being over the 
