4 University of MicJiigan 



c} — First dorsal lower, only about half as high as 

 second ; pectoral longer, usually reaching be- 

 yond origin of anal ; body usually more slender 



gracilis. 



c." — First dorsal higher, about two-thirds or three- 

 fourths as high as second; pectoral shorter, 

 reaching not, or barely, to origin of anal ; body 



usually less slender franklinii. 



a? — Preopercular spine long (as long as eye) and spirally curved; head 

 subspatulate in outline when viewed from above; lateral line com- 

 plete ; no palatine teeth ricei. 



Coitus jucridionalis Girard 



Coitus meridionalis Girard, Proc. Am. Ass. Adv. Sci., 2, 1850, p. 410; 

 Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 3, 1850, p. 189; Smiths. Contr. Knowl., 

 3, 1851, p. 47, pi. I, figs. 9, 10. 



Cottiis alvordii Girard, Smiths. Contr. Knowl., 3, 1851, p. 46, pi. i, 

 figs. 7, 8. 



Uranidea splilota Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat, Sci. Phila., 1865, p. 82. 



Cotiiis spilotus Jordan and Evermann, Bull. U. S. Nat. ]\Ius., 47, pt. 

 2, 1898, p. 1961. 



Cotius icialops Jordan and Evermann, /. c, 1898, p. 1950 (in part) ; 

 Fowler, Occ. Pap. ]\Ius. Zool. Univ. IMich., No. 60, 1918, p. 49, pi. 13. 



Cotttts richardsonii Gill, Smiths. Misc. Coll., 52, 1908, p. 114 (in 

 part). 



This species is fairly common in the streams of southern 

 Michigan. 



As Dr. Gill (/. c.) has insisted, Rafinesque's name ictalops 

 apparently is not applicable to this or any other cottoid species. 

 Pegedictis ictalops Rafinesque was probably based upon one of 

 the Etheostomatinae. 



Study of material from various localities in the Mississippi 

 \^alley has shown that the characters used by Girard to differ- 

 entiate alvordii from meridionalis are not constant, and hence 

 not of taxonomic significance. The number of fin rays varies 

 widely in this species, as illustrated by the following counts of 

 anal rays in specimens in the Field Museum of Natural 

 History. 



