44 BOOK OF TIIK I5I-ACK BASS. 



These specimens are still preserved, bearing the M8.S. name of 

 Cichla variabilis Le Sueur, and belong to the small niouthed species. 

 This name, which, so far as I know, was never published by Le 

 Sueur, is thus noticed by Cuvier and 'Valenciennes: 



" M. Lcsueur, croyant I'espece nouvelle, en a ])ublie une descrip- 

 tion dans le Journal des sciences a Philadeli)hie, sous le nom de 

 cichla variabilis; mais nous avons tout lieu de cruire que c'e^t ce 

 poisson qui est representij et (h'cril par M. de Lacepede (t. iv, p. 716 

 et 717, et. pi. 5, fig. 2), sous le nom de labi-e salmolde, d'apres des 

 notes et une figure fournies par M. Bosc qui le nommait perca trutte. 

 La figure en est un pen rude, mais la description s'accorde avec ce 

 que nous avons vu, sauf quelques details, qui tiennent pcut-etre 

 moins au poisson meme qu'u la maniere dont il a ete observe." 



Later (vol. v, p. v), the type of Micropterus dolomieu was re- 

 examined and fully identified by Cuvier as a Gnjsf.es sahnoides. 



It is thus evident that Cuvier and Valenciennes completely con- 

 founded the two species under the name Grystes sahnoides, and that 

 the uncertain sahnoides of Lacepede became in their hands a com- 

 plex species. We may perhaps say that their sahnoides must be the 

 fish described by them, and that the figure is -to be taken into consid- 

 eration only wlien otiier evidence is wanting. M. Vaillant, how- 

 ever, maintains that the large-mouthed species should be considered 

 as the sahnoides of Cuvier and Valenciennes, inasmuch as one of that 

 species served as the type of their published figure. 



The next writers who use the name sahnoides (De Kay, Storer, 

 etc.), have merely copied or echoed the description of Cuvier and 

 Valenciennes, and have in no way iiiven precision to the name. 



Later Agassiz uses the name '^ sahnoneus" (slip of the pen for 

 sahnoides" f) apparently referring to the large-mouthed species. 



The description given by Dr. Giinther of Grysfes sahnoides in the 

 Catalogue of the Fishes of the British Museum, I, 252, adds nothing 

 to the precision of our knowledge of the species, the characters 

 given being either taken from Cuvier and Valenciennes, or else 

 common to both species. 



Next a description is given of Gri/sfes srdnwides by Ilolbrook ( Ich. 

 S. Car., p. 28, pi. 4, f. 2), accompanied by an excellent fiuure, which 

 leaves no i>ossible doubt of the species intended. This is the large- 

 mouthed Ba.ss. 



