236 FISHES. 



more or less silvery, often uniformly so in spirits; a more 

 or less distinct purple lustre in life; sides with undulat- 

 ing, sometimes chain-like, transverse bars, most con- 

 spicuous in the young ; a black spot on base of dorsal 

 and anal behind; no blue stripes on cheeks; no red 

 markings; opercular flap moderately long and wide in 

 adults, without pale edge, very short in young; body 

 deep, compressed, caudal peduncle long and slender; 

 head 3 in length; depth about 2; dorsal spines very long 

 D. X, 11; A. Ill, 10; lat. 1. 40 to 45; L. 8. Great Lakes 

 to Delaware R. (Abbott) and S., abundant. A large and 

 very variable species, but almost always recognizable by 

 the characters above emphasized. (L. ardesiacus, L. 

 megalotis, and L. purpurascens, Cope.) 



Var.? speciosus, (B. & G.) Jordan. SOUTHEKN SUN 

 FISH. Dorsal spines longer than the soft rays; otherwise 

 similar to incisor. S. W. (L. longispinis, Cope. P. heros, 

 Grd.) 



Var.? obscurus, (Ag.) Jordan. DUSKY SUN FISH. 

 Like I. incisor, but uniformly dusky; face and jaws lead 

 color; body more elongate, and profile steeper; ear-flap 

 long; dorsal spines rather short. Tennessee R. 



2. /. macrochira, Raf. GILDED SUN FISH. Pale olive, 

 young almost translucent ; sides and fins profusely 

 speckled with golden orange, forming bars or chains; 

 orange below; cheeks with narrow blue horizontal lines; 

 no dorsal spot; flap moderate, rather narroio, narrowly 

 bordered by light / forehead regularly convex, the bulk 

 of the body thrown forward / dorsal spines moderate; 

 pectorals nearly reaching anal; ventrals elongate; head 

 3 in length, depth 2^; eye = flap, 4 in head; lat. 1. 42. 

 Ohio Valley and W., abundant. 



