NATURAL HISTORY. 



31 



THE DARTER. 



LITTLE STAR-GAZER. 



species often exceeds two feet in length, and 

 weighs five or six pounds, the L. canadensis 

 seldom, if ever, exceeds 14 inches in length, 

 or half a poviud in weight. It is mucliless 

 common in Lake Champlain than the L. 

 americana, but is frequently taken in 

 company with it. It usually swims very 

 near the bottom of the water, and hence it 

 has received the name of Ground Pike, 

 (Pike-Perch). As an article of food, this 

 species is held in the same high esteem, as 

 the Common Pike-Perch. 



Genus Boleosoma. — DeKay. 



Generic Characters. — Tivo dorsal fins. Opercule 

 scaly, with a single spine. Preopurcule smooth on 

 the margin. Six branchial rays. Nape depressed, 

 contracted. 



purpose of watching their motions and 

 learning their habits. They were very 

 uneasy, and seemed extremely anxious to 

 escape from their confinement. Aided by 

 their caudal and pectoral fins, in giving 

 them an impulse upwards, and by their 

 ventrals in climbing and adhering, they 

 would often raise themselves up the per- 

 pendicular side of the vessel, entirely above 

 the surfiice of the water, excepting only the 

 caudal fin. Another peculiaritj' of this fish, 

 is its power of bending its neck and moving 

 its head without moving the body, in which 

 respect it equals many of the reptiles. This 

 fish is entitled to the name of Darter, both 

 from its sudden motion, and from its having 

 the general form of a dart. 



'v^.=?C ■• 



THE DARTER. 



Boleosoma tassellatum. — DeKay. 



Description. — A small fish, with a row 

 of quadrated black spots, about seven in 

 number, along the dorsal ridge, occupying 

 about one-half of the space. A row of 

 lozenge-shaped black spots, a little smaller 

 than those on the back and about the same 

 in number, along the lateral line, on each 

 side of the body. General color of the re- 

 maining parts brownisli yellow, appi'oach- 

 ing to white on the belly. Eyes moveable 

 in their sockets ; pupils black, surrounded 

 by a golden line, which fades outward into 

 a gray iris. Fins yellowish white, with 

 faint brownish bars on the dorsals and 

 caudal fin. Body cylindi-ical, covered with 

 rough scales. Head rather small ; eyes 

 large and projecting ; nape depressed. 



History.— The habits of this fish are 

 quite peculiar. It moves not from place to 

 place by an even labored motion, like other 

 fishes, but proceeds by sudden leaps, or 

 darts, impelling itself forward by its tail 

 and pectoral fins, which it moves as a bird 

 does its wings. It remains suspended in 

 the water no longer than it Ivceps its pec- 

 toral fins in rapid nation. When the mo- 

 tion of its fins ceases, the fish sinks, at 

 once, to tlie bottom, showing that its spe- 

 cific gravity is greater than water, owing, 

 doubtless, to its want of a swimming blad- 

 der. When it reaches the bottom, it alights 

 upon its stiff ventral fins, upon which it 

 stands on the bottom, balanced, with its 

 head elevated, as a bird stands on its feet. 

 I kept several specimens of this fish alive, 

 in a vessel of water, for some time, for the 



* THE LITTLE STAR-GAZER. 



Cottus gobioides. — Giraud. 

 Description. — Color, blacldsh on the 

 back, mottled with light yellow ; abdomeu 

 white; lower parts of the sides and under 

 parts posterior to the vent, yellow — all 

 the under parts finely sprinkled with black 

 specs. Fins ; first dorsal blackish, edged 

 with red; all the others barred with brown 

 and yellow, excej)t the ventrals, which are 

 white, close together, and a little behind 

 the pectorals. Teeth sharp and fine, like 

 velvet pile, on both jaws. Tonzue large 

 and fleshy, with a patch of teetli. Head 

 large, broad, and a little flattened, witli the 

 eyes, which are large, on the upper side 

 and near together. A sharp, stout spine 

 on the preoperculum. Lips rather fleshy, 

 and the upper one a little protractile. — 

 Body thick forward, tapering very fast 

 towards the tail. Lateral line nearest the 

 back, consisting of a furrow with the edges 

 a little raised. Caudal fin rather large, 

 and nearly even. Pectorals very large, 

 and rounded. Ventrals long and narrow. 

 Vent anterior to the middle. Skin thickly 

 covered with mucus. No scales. 



Total length, 4 inches; to the commence- 

 ment of the first dorsal fin, 1.2 ; to the vent, 

 1.7. Width of the head, 0.95. 



Fin Rays, B. 6, D. 7—17, P. 14, A. 12, 

 C. 15. 



History. — For the specimen here descri- 

 bed, I was indebted to the kindness of Mr. 

 R. Colberth. He caught it, while fishing 

 for trout, in a branch of tlie river Lamoille, 

 ! in Jiohnson. This fish usually lies still at 

 i the bottom, or concealed under the stones 

 I in the sti-eams, and seldom moves, except 

 jwhen disturbed, and tlien its motions are 

 '•■ sluggish and labored. It is called, in some 

 'places, the Slow Fish. 

 ! It probably derived the name of Star- 

 ! Gazer, from the favorable position of its 



