IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 55 



Etiioostoma iii^-riiiii Kalinesque. — Beaver creek; Squaw creek; Raccoon river, at 

 Des Moines, Perry and Adel; Walnut creek; North river; Des Muines river, at Ft. 

 Dodjre. 



Tiiis is the most abundant etheostomoid fish in Iowa. In nearly every stream it 

 is abundant, often, in favored localities exceeding in numbers all other members of 

 the genus together. The general light straw colored back ground, on which are 

 arranged the characteristic "W" markings will enable its ready separation. In all 

 streams examined by us from Ft. Dodge to the Missouri it is a most constant 

 member of their fauna. It appears to delight equally in muddy and clear waters, 

 with bottoms of all natures. It loves to lie in concealment under leaves, stones, 

 twiss, or even lies half buried in the sand. 



Etheostoma peHuciduiu Baird.— Raccoon river, at Des Moines and Adel; Des 

 Moines river, at Ft. Dodge. 



The pellucid darter is well named. Like Labidesihes siccnlus it is quite trans- 

 parent and the gross anatomy may be made out, measurably well, without dissect- 

 ion. It is nearly white in color, with a few double but small dark spots along the 

 dorsum from the nape to the base of the caudal. A similar row is to be seen, 

 often but faintly, on the sides just above the lateral line. The lateral line itself is 

 in the midst of a series of from five to six rows of scales which widen out to a fan- 

 like shape at the base of the caudal 6n. Otherwise the fish is without color. Its 

 choice habitat is in shallow water, on sandbars, its coloration being admirably 

 adapted to protection. It is possibly the best illustration of protective coloration 

 that the genus affords. It is very abundant at all the localities named on sandbars 

 in swiftly flowing water. From its habit of concealment by plunging beneath the 

 sand with only the eyes out of " sand " it has been made the type of the subgenus 

 AiHinocn/pta. A related species, possibly but a synonym, has been described 

 from the Des Moines under the name of Animocn/pta clara. The locality for the 

 new species is Ottumwa. 



Etheostoma phoxocephalum Nelson. —Raccoon river, at Adel. 



But two specimens have been found by us at tuis locality. They were taken in 

 rather rapidly flowing water and in a portion of the stream abounding in large 

 drift boulders. The species is easily recognized by the color markings and peculiar 

 tapering head, which latter character it shares in common with no other etheosto- 

 moid fish. 



While the present paper is designed only to record the results of personal 

 collection and the study of the fishes of Central Iowa it will be helpful, perhaps, to list 

 in addition all forms recorded by others from our area. The first bibliographic 

 reference given above lists from the Des Moines, at Ottumwa, the following: 



Xotiirus flaviis Rafinesque. 



Sotropis boops Gilbert. 



Hybopsis dissiuiilis Kirtland. 



Aineiurus uebulosus Le Sueur. 



Hybopsis hyostomus Gilbert. 



Hybopsis biguttatus Kirt. 



Hadroptenis evides Jordan and Copeland. 



Bolcosoiiia oliustodi inaoiilatum Agassiz. 



Amuiocrypta clara Jordan and Meek. 



The total number of species now known from this limited area is, therefore, 

 sixty-three. A few more than one hundred species are known in the State. Our 



