PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 497 
terminal, slightly oblique, and rather small. The maxillary reaches 
back to a vertical from the anterior of the orbit. The eye is small, 4 
in head, and greater than the snout. Cheeks and opercles covered with 
large scales. Opercular spine well developed. 
The scales of the body are large, there being only 36 vertical and 11 
horizontal rows, the latter counted between the dorsal and anterior of 
anal. The lateral line is found on but two scales anteriorly. Tin-rays, 
D. VIII, 11; A. I, 6. Anal II, 6,in a specimen of the same species 
from Alabama in the U.S. Nat. Mus. (fide Jordan). The two dorsals 
are well separated. Spinous dorsal two-thirds the length of the head, 
its height a little more than one-half the head. Soft dorsal with about 
the same dimensions. Anal spine slender and of moderate length. 
Length of anal 3 times in the head; its height twice its length. Pee- 
torals and ventrals reaching nearly to the vent. 
Color greenish olive, with many specks of brown. These brown 
specks somewhat in rows above the place for the lateral line. About. 
ten oblong spots of brown along the sides, most distinct above the-anal 
fin. Below, white. The usual black streaks below and in front of the 
eye. Dorsal fins somewhat barred. 
The general appearance of this little fish is that of a Boleichthys, but 
the very short laterai line, large scales, equal jaws, We., seem to ally it 
most closely to Microperca. From the latter it differs in having but a 
single anal spine and the beginnings of a lateral line. Since, however, 
this “lateral line” is found on the opercle of JZ. punctulata, it would 
not be surprising if it should be sometimes, even in that species, found 
on one or two of the anterior scales. 
Famity CENTRARCHID &. 
GENUS MICROPTERUS, Lacépede. 
11. Micropterus pallidus (Raf.) Gili & Jor. (No. 27,450.) 
Huro nigricans, DEKay, Fauna N. Y. Fishes, 1842, 15. 
Micropterus nigricans, COPE, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci, Phila, 1865, 85. 
Dioplites nuccensis, GIRARD, U. 8. Pac. R. R. Surv. vol, x, 4. 
Micropterus pallidus, JORDAN, Annals N. Y. Lye. Nat. Hist. 1877, 314, 
This species is abundant everywhere, and is esteemed as one of the best 
food-fishes. It is called’ “Trout”, instead of “Bass”, as at the North. 
The young are conspicuously marked by a dark, sometimes inter- 
rupted, lateral band. This is sometimes found also in the adults. 
There is often a small patch of feeble teeth on the tongue of both this 
species and M. salmoides. 
Specimens were obtained in the Catawba at Artesia, and in the 
Chickasawha at Enterprise. 
Proc. Nat. Mus. 80 
32 Feb. 16, 188i. 
