12 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY III 



ETHEOSTOMATID^E. 



Genus ALVORDIUS Girard. 

 1. ALVORDIUS CRASSUS, sp. nov. 



Eiheostoma maculatum var. COPE, Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. 1870, 261, 262, and 449. (Not 

 Hadropterus maculatus Girard.) 



A species bearing considerable resemblance to A. aspro, but less 

 distinctly marked and more heavily built, the form being less graceful 

 than that of the other members of the genus. Body considerably com- 

 pressed, the depth 4J times in length to origin of caudal (as in all cases 

 in this paper). Head 1 comparatively short, 3| in length; the snout 

 medium, not acuminate as in A. phoxccephalus. nor especially obtuse. 

 Eye moderate, as long as snout, 4 in head. Mouth rather small for the 

 genus, nearly horizontal, the upper jaw but little the longer: upper 

 jaw not projectile : maxillary reaching anterior margin of eye. 



Cheeks naked : opercles with a few scales above : back and breast 

 naked : middle line of belly in some specimens naked : in others with 

 enlarged plates. Scales on the body rather larger than usual, about 

 7-55-7. 



Fins moderately developed: dorsal XII-I, 10, varying to XI-I, 11; 

 an increase in the number of the spines, as usual, accompanying a 

 decrease in the number of soft rays, a rule apparently not hitherto 

 noticed, and perhaps not of general application. The two dorsal fins 

 are well separated, the first being longer than the second, but consider- 

 ably lower. 



Anal fin shorter, but higher than second dorsal, II, 9; the two spines 

 well developed. Caudal fin deeply lunate, almost furcate. Pectorals 

 and ventrals large, their tips about equal. 



Coloration rather plain. General hue olivaceous ; the back marked 

 with darker, as in the other species of the genus. Sides with a series 

 of dark olive, rounded blotches, connected along the lateral line by a 

 narrow, dark band ; a dark streak forward, and one downward from the 

 eye. First dorsal with a dark spot in front, and another on its last 

 rays. Second dorsal, caudal, and pectorals barred with dark spots. 

 Anal and veutrals uucolored. 



Length of longest specimens observed, 3 inches. 



Habitat. Saluda, Ennoree, and Eeedy Rivers, in rapid water, espe- 

 cially abundant in the Saluda at Fair's Mills. Also recorded by Cope 

 from the Catawba. 



