LAMPREYS AND FISHES OF INDIANA. 211 



NOTROPIS MEGALOPS (Raf.). 



Minnilus cornutus, Jordan and Gilbert, 1882, 8, 186. 



Form stout and compressed. Head short and thick, in length of body 

 four and one-half times. Mouth small, terminal, oblique. Teeth, 2-4— 1—2, 

 with hook and distinct grinding surface. Depth of body in its length 

 three times ; of the young, four to five times. Dorsal over or slightly 

 behind the ventrals ; of eight soft rays. Anal, nine. Lateral line bent 

 downward. Scales, 6-40-5. with about twenty-three in front of the 

 dorsal. Pectorals hardly reaching the ventrals ; the latter attaining to 

 the vent. 



C/olor leaden, darker above. Scales of the sides often with blotches of 

 black. In the breeding males the whole anterior part, including the pec- 

 toral and the ventral fins, may become beautifully rosy, with blotches of 

 black ; while the head becomes covered with sharp prickles. The fe- 

 males are more plainly attired. 



This species reaches a length of from six to eight inches. It is abund- 

 ant, and is often taken on hooks by boys. Its flesh is of little account,, 

 and sooQ decays. 



Forbes found this species (i^, No. 2, 80), to live chiefly on vegetation. 

 Its stomach also included fragments of insects. Other studies {14-, No. 

 6, 84), showed that the fish often takes a larger proportion of animal 

 food, this sometimes amounting to two-thirds the whole. The larger 

 part of this was made up of insects, but crustaceans had also been eaten. 



This fish is widely distributed, beiog found from the Atlantic to the 

 Rocky Mountains. In Indiana it has been taken in all parts of the 

 Slate, and may be found in all streams. Carroll County (33, '88, 46) ; 

 Clark County (23, '«8, 56) ; Franklin County (5, No. 2, 5) ; Monroe 

 County (1, '85, 410); Marion County (1, '77, 877); lakes of Laporte 

 County; St. Joseph, Kankakee and Tippecanoe rivers (1, '77,45); 

 Logansport ; East Fork White River (23, '84, 202) ; St. Joseph River 

 (4, '88, 154) ; Kankakee River at Plymouth, Lake Maxinkuckee, Lo- 

 gansport (4, '88, 156, 158) ; Knox, Gibson and Posey counties (4, '88, 

 163) ; Evansville, White River at Spencer, Eel River in Owen County 

 (4, '88, 165-167); Vigo County, (16, 94); Eel River in Northeastern 

 Indiana (4, '94, 37). See, also, 24, '93, 88, where it is stated to have 

 been found in Henry, Laporte and Decatur counties. 



NOTROPIS ARIOMMUS (Cope.) 



Big-eyed Shiner. 



Minnilus ariommm, Jordan and Gilbert, 1882, 8, 194. 

 Form elongated and compressed. Depth in length, four and one-third 

 times. Head rather large ; its length in that of head and body, four 



