32 



APPENDIX TO THOMPSON'S VERMONT. 



SMALL-SCALED DACE. 



JLiSQUALLONGE. 



eyes for looking upwards, they being placed 

 vei-y near the top of the head. It seldom 

 exceeds si inches in length. 



Mr. Girard ascertained our Cottus to be 

 an undescribed species from the identical 

 specimen, which I have described here, and 

 he gave it the name of C. gobioides, from 

 its strong resemblance to the Cottus gobio 

 of Europe. His description of the fish, 

 accompanied by a beautifully engraved 

 figure of it, is contained in his valuable 

 Monograpli of tlie Cottus Family of Fishes, 

 published iu the second volume of Smith- 

 sonian Contributions to Knowledge. 



SMALL-SCALED DACE. 

 Leuciscus atromaculalus. — Mitch. 



Description. — Color of the head and 

 back dai-k olive-brown; sides lighter, often 

 Avith bronzy I'eflections, and passing into a 

 whitish iiesh-color on the belly. Dorsal, 

 caudal and outer margins of the pectoral 

 fins, brownish; inner margins of the pec- 

 torals, the ventrals and tlie anal fin, dull 

 orange. Eyes rather small ; pupil black, 

 surrounded by a fine golden line ; iris 

 brown. Scales small and crowded, as far 

 backward as the ventrals. Lateral line 

 begins at the top of the gill opening, bends 

 rapidly downward over 11 scales, and then 

 runs a straight course to the tail, passing 

 over, in the Avhole, 60 sr-ales. Tail luua- 

 ted. Pectoral and ventral fins rounded. 

 A squarish distinct black spot on the ante- 

 rior part of the base of the dorsal fin. 



Length of the specimen described, 0.5 

 inches; to the pectoral fins, 1.5 ; dorsal 3 ; 

 vent, 3.75 ; anal, 3.9; to base of caudal, 

 5.5; width between the eyes, 0.6; head, 0.8. 



Rays, D. 8, P. 16, V. 8, A. 8, C. 19. 



HiiTORT. — This is one of the most com- 

 mon fishes of this genus in the western 

 part of Vermont. It abounds almost eveiy 

 where, both in the rivers and small streams. 

 Its insipidity and small size prevent its 

 being sought as an article of food ; but, as 

 it takes the hook with great readiness, it 

 affords the boys an opportunity to indulge 

 in the cruel sport of catching them for mere 

 amusement. They are also caught to be 

 used as bait in taking larsrer fishes. 



Description. — Back nearly black; sides 

 bluish gray, mostly covered with iri-egular 

 roundish dark-brown spots, usually about 

 an inch in diameter, and often confluent, 

 with a few meandering yellowish lines. 

 Belly grayish white, with ruddy tinges. 

 Fins dark brown ; pectorals ruddy. Eyes 

 moderately large; pupils black, surrounded 

 by a bright yellow ring, which fades out- 

 ward over the irides into grayish orange. 

 Length of the specimen before me, 48 

 inches, from the tip of the under jaw, 

 Vi'hich is longest, to the extremity of the 

 tail ; to the anterior nostril, 4 inches ; to 

 the orbit, 5 ; to the nape, or beginning of 

 the scales, 8 ; to posterior edge of the prco- 

 perculum, 8.5; do. of the operculum, 10.5; 

 the beginning of ventral fins, 24.5 ; do. dor- 

 sal, 31.5 ; do. anp.l, 32.5 ; to the centre of 

 the base of the caudal, 42.75; width be- 

 tween the orbits, 3. Fins : dorsal, length, 

 5; height 4, — pectorals, length, 1.7; height 

 5, — ventrals, length, 1.5; height, 4, — anal, 

 length, 4 ; height 4 5, — caudal, 4 across the 

 base; longest rays, 6.25. Lower part of 

 the cheek, in front of the preoperculum, 

 naked. Face nearly flat between the orbits. 

 Rays.D. S18, P. 16, V. ^12, A. ^16, C. 1<4 



HisTOPvT. — This fish has, till lately, been 

 confounded with the Esox estor, or Com- 

 mon Pike, or Lake Pickerel. When my 

 description of the E. estor was published, 

 in 1842, I doubted the existence of this 

 species in our lake, but since that time my 

 mind has changed on the subject. In May, 

 1847, I received from my friend, the Hon. 

 A. G. Whittemore,* of Milton, a fish caught 

 near the mouth of the river Lamoille, which 

 the fishermen called Masquallonge. It was 

 26 inches long, and weighed about 6 pounds. 

 Upon examining it, I was fally satisfied 

 that it was of a species distinct from E. 

 estor, and, as I could find no description 

 of it under any other name, I made out a 

 description and gave it the name of Esox 

 nobilior. 



In April, 1848, 1 received another speci- 

 men from the same source, which weighed 

 1 9 lbs. , and was 41 h inches long. In May, 

 1849, tv,-o specimens were brought along, 

 both caught near the mouth of the Lamoille, 

 one of which weighed 40, and the other 27 

 pounds. I purchased the latter, and from 

 it the preceding description is chiefly drawn. 



Believing this species to attain a larger 

 size, and to be a more excellent fish for the 

 table, than any other epecies of the Pike 



MASQUALLONGE. 



Esox 7iobilior. — Thompson. 



Esox estor, Richardson Fauna Boreali, Part 111,-127. 



Esox estor, Herbert's Frank Forester's Fish and 



Fishinir. 



* Since the above was written, I have received in- 

 tellieence of the death of my esteemed friend, Albert 

 G. \Vhittemore, Esq. He was accidentally killed 

 at Zanesville, Ohio, on the 10th of November, 1852, 

 ased 55 years; v.-here he was engaged as contractor 

 on the rail road fi-om that place to Wheeling. He 

 was a gentleman of intelligence and enterprise, and 

 of many estimable qualities as a man and a citizen. 



