8 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY — II. 



scaly; no ventral plates; belly entirely scaled; lateral line complete; 

 anal about equal to second dorsal. 



Fin rays : — Dorsal about X — 12. Anal II, 8. The soft rays barred. 

 Coloration otherwise obliterated. Length of type 2J inches. 



BnUtat. — Foxburgh, Pa., Allegheny River. Type No. 1199. Uuited 

 States National Museum. 



5. ERICOSMA EVIDES, Jordan & Copeland, gen. nov. 

 Alvordius evides, Jordan & Copelaxd, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1877, p. 51. 



The coloration of this species, described in the paper above cited, is 

 that of the female fish. The recent collection of a very large number of 

 both sexes, in the breeding dress, at the same locality where the types 

 were taken, enables me to supplement the original account. The fol- 

 lowing are the life colors of a male fish in spring: — 



Lateral bars, which in the female are black or brown, a dark, rich 

 blue-green, with metallic lustre. At the base of the bars they are some- 

 what connected by a narrow band of a greenish-bronze color, passing 

 below the lateral line. Just below this is a narrow streak of yellowish — 

 a sort of luminous, sunshine color. Above, toward the back, in each of 

 the interspaces between the bars, is a bright blotch of bronze-red. The 

 entire lower parts of the body are of a bright clear yellow, which be- 

 comes on the under side of the head, throat, and brauchiostegals a very 

 bright orange-red. A blackish-green bar below eye and a streak for- 

 ward from it. 



Dorsal fin orange-colored, with a bright bronze edge, a blackish spot 

 on the last rays. Second dorsal and caudal pale orange ; two luminous 

 spots at base of caudal fin ; anal bronze, with blue-black shading. Ven- 

 tral fins dark blue-black. Pectorals faintly orange. Cheeks orange-red, 

 exactly the color of bright iron-rust. 



Males with the rays of the ventral and anal fins covered with small 

 bluish tubercles, exactly as in some Cyprinidcc. 



This species is probably not strictly congeneric with the type of Al- 

 vordius. It differs from the latter genus chiefly in the less complete 

 dentition and the reduced number of vertebrae, the latter character 

 giving to the fish a short, compact form, quite unlike that of Alvordius 

 aspro and related species. I propose to designate the group typified by 

 A. evides by the name of Ericosma {r^p, springtime; xoaiisd), to adorn), 

 from the gay coloration of the males at that season. 



