85. PERCIDiE BOLEOSOMA. 
491 
the feeble opercular spine is almost hidden by them. Middle and lower 
part of the sides of the body covered with large, imbricated, very rough 
scales, these less closely set below; breast naked; behind the ventrals 
the middle line of the belly with some small scales, behind which is a 
naked space bounded by small imbedded scales, and extending as far 
as the vent; back from middle of first dorsal forward naked, posteriorly 
more or less scaly. Fins low and small, the second dorsal larger than 
the first or the anal; the spines slender; anal spines short; pectoral 
fins long and narrow. Translucent, with small dark spots on back and 
sides, besides finer specklings ; fins plain. Head 4^ ; depth 7. 13. Vll 
to IX-11 to 13; A. II, 6 to 8; Lat. 1. 60. L. 2 inches. Xeuse Eiver, 
Xorth Carolina; locally abundant. 
(Pwcilichthys vitreits Cope, Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. Phila. 1870, 263; Jordan & 
Braytou, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. xii, 82, 1878.) 
254.— BOI.EOSOMA DeKay. 
Tessellated Darters. 
(Arlina and Estrella Grd.) 
(DeKay, New York Fauna Fish. 1842, 20: type Boleosoma tessellatum DeKay =Ef/ieos- 
toma olmstedi Storer.) 
Body moderately elongate, fusiform, not translucent. Head small, 
narrowed forwards, the profile convex. Mouth small, horizontal, the 
lower jaw included; i^remaxillaries iirotractile. Maxillary not adnate 
to preorbital. Vomerine teeth present. Scales large. Lateral line con- 
tinuous (rarely wanting on two or three scales). Belly with ordinary 
scales. Gill-membranes narrowly connected. Dorsal spines 7-10, slen- 
der; soft dorsal much larger than anal; anal normally with a single, 
short, slender sjiine, the first soft ray simple, but articulate. V ertebroe 
( B. nigrum) 17 -f 20. Coloration olivaceous and speckled, the males 
blackish in spring. Size small. (iSu/i:?, a dart; amp-a^ body.) 
a. Dorsal spines normally 9. 
1). Cheeks scaly; second dorsal with 13 or 14 rays olmstedi. 
1)1). Cheeks and breast normally naked (occasionally I’nlly scaled). 
c. Body fusiform, with slender caudal peduncle; fins moderate; second dorsal 
with 11 or 12 rays; lateral line usually not quite complete nUjrum. 
ec. Body robust, compressed ; fins very high. 
d. Second dorsal with 13 rays; lateral line with about 40 scales effulgens. 
dd. Second dorsal with 10 rays; lateral line about 35 rexillare. 
aa. Dorsal spines 7 (?) cesgpiis. 
