’ 
496 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
from 4 to 20 or more of the scales. Cheeks and opercles sealed. Region 
in front of pectoral and ventral fins sometimes scaled and sometimes 
naked. | 
The fin-rays are, D. IX, 11 (10); A. I, 7 or 8. The dorsals are sepa- 
rated by a distance equal to one-half the length of the head, or more. 
The spinous dorsal is five-sevenths as long as the head, and four-fifths 
as high as long. The soft dorsal has about the same dimensions. The 
anal is equal to one-half the head in length and height. 
In color this species is of a pale greenish yellow, with many blotches 
and zigzag markings of brown. There is a row of about ten of these 
blotches on each side, most distinct on the caudal peduncles. Also 
there are about eight square brown spots along the dorsal region. Top 
of the head, a spot on the operculum, and another below the eye, dark ; 
a line of the same color, but more distinct, from the eye to the snout. 
Length of the largest specimen 1% inches. 
This species appears to be widely distributed, as I obtained it at Cor- 
inth in a small stream that flows into the Tuscumbia, at Artesia in Sandy 
Creek, and at Macon in Horsehunter Creek. 
The characters of this species appear to agree in many respects with 
those of Boleosoma gracile, Girard, described in the Proc. Acad. Nat. 
Sei. Phila. 1859, 103. Girard’s specimens were from Southwest Texas. 
In B. gracile, however, the spinous dorsal is described as being longer 
and lower than the soft dorsal, and the anal as being much deeper than 
long, which statements do not well apply to Boleichthys chlorosoma. I 
am also informed by Professor Jordan that the jaw of BL. gracile is non- 
protractile. 
The species that I have above described belongs to Professor Jor- 
dan’s genus Vaillantia (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 12, 89), the type of 
which is Boleosoma camurum, Forbes. From that species it differs, 
among other things, in having the two dorsals widely separated. In B. 
camurum they are contiguous. 
GENUS MICROPERCA, Putnam. 
10. Microperca preeliaris, Hay, sp.nov. (No. 27,418.) : 
The species about to be described may possibly belong to the genus 
Boleichthys. I have but a single specimen, which has a total length of 
13 inches. It was obtained at Corinth, and was at first supposed to be 
a specimen of V. chlorosoma. 
The body is rather short and stout, the depth being contained in the 
length a little more than 4 times. Behind the vent the body becomes 
contracted into the caudal peduncle, which is compressed and contained 
in the length of the body 3 times. Its median depth is one-third its 
length. : 
The head is contained in the length 4 times. The snout conical and 
pointed. The jaws are equal, the upper not protractile; the mouth 
