FISH OF ONTARIO. 75 



In the breeding season the male is brilliant bluish or greenish above, with 

 indistinct dark bars and generally bright red below. Length in our waters 

 about three inches. 



Rather common in spring in the streams and inlets of Lake Ontario, 

 but I have not found it elsewhere. Its centre of abundance in America is 

 along the North Atlantic coast, where it is found in all the streams from 

 New Jersey to Labrador. The male of this species constructs a rather 

 elaborate nest, of sand, pieces of sticks, weeds, etc., in which the female 

 deposits her ova. When this is done the male stands guard over it, fanning 

 with his fins to promote circulation of the water, only leaving his post to 

 dart at an intruder or secure some small insect for food. 



Order ACANTHOPTERI. (The Spiny-rayed Fishes.) 



Anterior vertebras unmodified and without ossicula auditus ; no meso- 

 coracoid and no interclavicles so far as known. Border of mouth, formed 

 by premaxillary ; maxillary normally distinct from it and always present, 

 but sometimes coossified with it. Gills laminated. Shoulder girdle 

 attached to the skull by a post temporal, which is normally furcate and 

 usually not coossified with the skull. Hypercoracoid and hypocoracoid 

 distinct, ossified, the former usually perforate. Pharyngeals well devel- 

 oped, the lower rarely united, the third upper pharyngeal largest, the 

 fourth often wanting. Pectoral actinosts always present, opercular appa- 

 ratus complete ; gill openings in advance of the pectorals ; pectoral fins 

 above the plane of the abdomen ; ventral fins more or less anterior, nor- 

 mally attached by the pelvis to the shoulder girdle, typically with one 

 spine and five rays, sometimes wanting, sometimes without spine or with 

 many rays, or otherwise modified. Anterior rays of dorsal and anal typi- 

 cally simple or spinous, but all the fin rays often articulate. Air bladder 

 typically without duct in the adult. Scales various, typically ctenoid; 

 lateral line usually running high. 



Suborder SALMOPERCvE. (The Trout Perches.) 



Yentrals abdominal, each with a short simple ray; dorsal with two 

 simple rays or spines ; anal with one or two ; mouth formed as in PercoiJ 

 fishes, the simple toothless maxillary not forming part of its border. Adi- 

 pose fin present. Scales ctenoid ; head naked ; pseudobranchiae present. 

 Air bladder apparently with a rudimentary duct. Stomach siphonal, with 

 a few caeca. Shoulder girdle without mesocoracoid, apparently of the 

 normal percoid type ; vertebrae about thirty-five. 



