NOTES OX XKW JERSEY FISHES. 3G3 



Semotilus bullaris Rafinesque. 



Chub. 



Color when fresh with back and upper surface of head, deep steel- 

 blue, greenish reflections seen in certain lights. Edges of scales at 

 pockets, with deep neutral-black tints forming continuous reticulated 

 pattern till well down middle of sides. Under surface of body opaque 

 silvery-white. Sides of head with a brilliant deep rosy-red or ver- 

 milion tinge, fading paler and whitish below. Entire side of body 

 with deep rosy-red tinge, intense in life. Snout olivaceous-brown. 

 Cheeks intense scarlet. Iris bright orange, with narrow ring around 

 slaty pupil lighter and apparently better defined. A dark neutral 

 streak around origin of squamous area on post-occipital and nuchal 

 region. Dorsal olivaceous, with warm orange tints, and Ix'eoming 

 bright vermilion at base of fin. Caudal ochraceous-olive, radii around 

 outer portions more neutral tint. Shoulder girdle with bright orange- 

 vermilion tinge. Pectoral brilliant orange-vermilion, deepest inside,. 

 and upper margin narrowly dusky. Ventral paler, orange-vermilion 

 mcdianly, without dusky. Anal pale orange medianly. with whitish 

 around margins. Length eleven and one-half inches. This example 

 was taken in the Delaware, at Trenton. April 4th, 190(S, and for- 

 warded to me by ^Ir. J. B. Vanderveer and Dr. C. C. Ablwtt. I 

 was very glad to have this opportunity of examining this fish in high 

 coloration. Though no tubercles were present on the upper surface of 

 the head, I have seen adult breeding-males which were so furnished. 

 These large chubs are taken with the suckers, and as they will all 

 live some time in captivity, find a ready sale among the Jewish popu- 

 lation. Dr. Abbott first described this species from our limits many 

 years ago.^ Very shortly after liis elucidation, and the application of 

 the name Cyjirinus corporalis Mitchill to it, a step which has since, to 

 a great extent, been thought justified by later writers, Cope sot aside 

 and renamed the fi.sh Leucosovius rliotheus,- besides rejecting 

 Eaiinesqiie's generic name Semotilus. Cope is also credited witli 

 having stated that there were apparent inaccuracies in Dr. Alibott's 

 description of color, and without living specimens a correction conld 

 not be made, l)ut its general a])p('arance when drawn from the water. 



^ Pioc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, p. 154. 

 = L. C'.. p. 7,21]. 



