CENTRARCHID^. — XCII. 241 



with rusty red spots; blue stripes on head; spines rather 

 short; body rather elongate; opercular flap very long^ 

 longer than any in other species except the southern 

 Xenotis fallax^ and extremely narrow, Maine to Ala- 

 bama, east of the Alleghenies, abundant; the only long- 

 eared Sun-fish occurring in New England. A large 

 handsome species, known at once by the peculiar ear-flap. 

 \j. 6 to 10. (/. rubricauda^ appendix^ etc., of authors.) 



** No palatine teeth; dorsal spines very high; a more or less dis- 

 tinct black blotch on last rays of dorsal and anal. {Heliopercai 

 Jor.) 



6. L pallidas, (Mit.) Gill & Jor. Blue Sun Fish. 

 CoppER-xosED Bream. Olive green, adults dark; young 

 more or less silvery, oftein uniformly so in spirits; a more 

 or less distinct purple lustre in life; sides with undulat- 

 ing, sometimes chain-like, transverse bars, most con- 

 spicuous in the young; a black spot on base of dorsal 

 and anal behind; no bine stripes on cheeks; no red 

 on fins; opercular flap moderately long and wide in 

 adults, without pale edge, very short in young; body 

 deep, compressed, caudal peduncle rather slender; head 

 3 in length; depth about 2; dorsal spines very long; 

 D. X, 11; A. Ill, 10; lat. 1. 40 to 45; L. 8. Great Lakes 

 to Delaware R. {Abbott) and S., abundant. A large and 

 very variable species, but almost always recognizable by 

 the characters above emphasized. (X. ardesiacus^ L. 

 inegalotis^ and L. pnrpurascens,, Cope, Ichthelis incisor^ 

 Auct.) Adult specimens are often nearly orbicular and 

 have the belly coppery red. 



7. L. ischyrus, Jordan & Nelson. A large, heavily- 

 built species, similar to the preceding but with larger 

 mouth, shorter spines and different coloration; top of 

 head flat and short; opercular flap large, with a wide 



11 



