482 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



purple and with many vertical greenish bands, which are some- 

 times chainlike. The dark blotch of the soft dorsal is often 

 indistinct in the young. In very old individuals the belly is 

 often coppery red. The specimen described, no. 27845, U. S, 

 National Museum, from Peoria 111., is 7^ inches long. 



The propriety of using Mitchill's name pallidus for the 

 blue sunfish is extremely doubtful. His description can be 

 much more readily referred to a species ofEnneacanthus r 

 and the locality " near New York " does not possess this sunfish 

 among its native species. 



The blue sunfish, blue bream, copper-nosed bream or dol- 

 lardee, is a very widely diffused species and varies greatly in 

 size, color and length of the ear flap. It is found in the Great 

 lakes and throughout the Mississippi valley to Mexico. East of 

 the Alleghanies it ranges from New Jersey to Florida. In 

 Pennsylvania it is abundant only in the western part of the 

 state, including Lake Erie. Dr Abbott has recorded it from the 

 Delaware river. Dr Meek says that it is found in the Cayuga 

 lake basin in small numbers with the blue-spotted sunfish r 

 Apomotis cyanellus, which he took ne*ar Montezuma. 



The blue sunfish grows to a length of nearly 1 foot, and indi- 

 viduals weighing nearly 2 pounds are on record. Adults, how- 

 ever, average 8 inches in length, with a weight of less than 1 

 pound. The size of the individuals depends on the habitat. In 

 large lakes and streams it grows to a greater size than in small 

 bodies of water. In southern waters it attains to a larger size 

 than in northern waters. It lives in ponds as well as in streams 

 and thrives in warm waters. It is considered equal to the rock 

 bass as a panfish and can very readily be taken by hook fishing. 



Genus ETJPOMOTIS Gill & Jordan 



Very closely related to L e p o m i s, differing only in the 

 blunter and more pavementlike teeth of the lower pharyngeal 

 bones. These bones are, dn typical species, broad and concave, 

 specially in the adult. There is considerable variation among 

 the species, and it is possible that this division can not be main- 

 tained. Most of the species have* long pectoral fins, the sup- 



