490 proceedings of united states national museum. 



Family ETHEOSTOMATID^. 

 Genus AMMOCRYPTA, Jordan. . 



1.* Ammocrypta gelida, Hay, sp. nov. (No. 27,425, U. S. Nat. Mus.) 



General form of the body that of P. pellucidus (Bd.) A^.; terete, slen- 

 der, and in life almost transparent. Head pointed. Mouth terminal, 

 larger than in P. lielhicidus, the maxillary bone extending back to a ver- 

 tical from the anterior of the orbit. 



Jaws armed with large, curved teeth. Eyes high up, 4 in the head, 

 less than the length of the snout. 



Cheeks and opercles naked. Opercular spine absent, the bone termi- 

 nating behind in a thin and obtuse process. 



Body almost naked ; about three rows of pectinated scales along the 

 lateral line, 05 scales in each row. 



The rays of the median fins as follows : D. X, 11 ; A. I, 10 or 9. Dor- 

 sals separated. Length of spinous dorsal eight-ninths that of the head, 

 and four-fifths as high as long. Soft dorsal three-fourths the length of 

 the head, and two-thirds as high as long. Anal, in length, slightly less 

 tbau soft dorsal, and a little less in height than in length. 



Head in the length to base of caudal 4 ; depth in length 7J. 



Color of the body in spirits white ; in life translucent, with a golden 

 yellow band along each side. Head above dusky, from being thickly 

 sprinkled with black i)oints. A few such points are scattered over the 

 whole dorsal surface. Spinous dorsal with a black spot about half way 

 up in front. Soft dorsal, anal, and caudal slightly dusky. ISTo spots 

 along the sides or dorsal region. 



Length to base of caudal 1|^ inches. 



Found in the Chickasawha Eiver at Enterprise. It seems to prefer a 

 sandy bottom. 



The descrixition of this species seems to agree pretty well with that of 

 Ammocrypta beanii, published by Professor Jordan in Bulletin No. 10 of 

 the United States National Museum. Judging from his description, 

 however, my species is slenderer and has a head comparatively shorter. 

 A. bcaiUi has depth in length 6, head 3^. The fin formula is also differ- 

 ent, being in his species D. X, 10 ; A. I, 9. The coloration of the spinous 

 dorsal is different. Nor do I observe that the soft dorsal and anal tius 

 of my species are notably higher than they are in specimens of P. pellu- 

 cidus. 



To the generic characters given by Professor Jordan in his description 

 of A. heanii I will add that of the complete absence of aii opercular 

 spine. This spine is wanting in no other Etheostomoid fishes known 

 to me, although it is feebly developed in Microjjerca punctulata. 



