

MINYTREMA MELANOPS. 



air-bladder in all cases was bicellular, as in the genus Erimyzon. At 

 that time he had never seen any specimens with a developed lateral line 

 and then unquestioningly referred the species to Erimyzon. Later, Mr. 

 Nelson noticed the occasional partial development of the lateral line, 

 and recently, by the examination of a full series of specimens, the 

 writer has been enabled to trace the stages in its growth. 



This fish inhabits all the Western streams and lakes, usually in com- 

 pany with Erimyzon sucetta. It is fond of clear sluggish waters, and 

 abounds in ponds and bayous. It is used for food, and is pretty good 

 for a " Sucker ", which is not saying much. This species is more than 

 usually tenacious of life, and young specimens are rather interesting as 

 aquarium fishes. 



The synonymy of this species needs a few words. It was originally 

 described by Kafinesque as a species with a lateral Hue. This first 

 description is quite indifferent, but the account of the coloration, and the 

 name, Striped Sucker, enabled Dr. Kirtland reatlily to identify it, but 

 the latter writer found the " lateral line obsolete ". Later, Valenciennes 

 described it under Le Sueur's MSS. name offasciatus, and found a lateral 

 line. As Le Sueur's specimens were from the Wabash, there can be no 

 doubt of their identity with mclanops. Later, Dr. Girard described and 

 figured Texan specimens without the lateral line under the name of 

 Moxostoma victorice, and specimens with the lateral line from the Upper 

 Missouri Eegion as Ptycliostomus haydeni. The types of neither of these 

 species are preserved, but no distinctions^from melanops are noticed in 

 either case by the describer, and the range of melanops certainly includes 

 the Missouri river and the waters of Texas. 



The name sucetta has been once or twice employed by me for this 

 species, erroneously, as I am now convinced. I found this species in 

 abundance in South Carolina; and Le Sueur, apparently quoting from 

 Lacepede, says : " Sides silvery, with brown spots at the base of the 

 scales." Nevertheless, on inspection of LacepMe's description, and 

 especially of the colored figure which he gives from a drawing by Bosc ? 

 it becomes evident that the Cyprinus sucetta Lacepede is the same as 

 Cyprinus oblongus of Mitchill, a species equally abundant in the same 

 waters. Bosc's drawing, although not giving the details of structure 

 minutely, represents the general form and coloration of the body and 

 fins, and this figure can only represent the Cyprinus oblongus. As the 

 Cyprinus sucetta Lace*pede is based entirely on information derived from 

 Bosc, the name must be retained for the species which Bosc had fig- 



