994 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



aiial. Gill rakers x -\- 9 or 10. Lateral line usually, but not always, com- 

 plete. Color dark olive; young with traces of narrow vertical, darker 

 bars ; ear flap small, with a blue border and a pearly spot in front ; a dark 

 bar about width of pupil extending obliquely downward below eye ; 

 sides of head, whole body and vertical fins, in the males, with round 

 bright blue spots arranged in irregular rows, these spots most distinct on 

 the cheeks and opercles and on the lower part of the sides ; females duller, 

 with larger and fainter spots more regular in position ; a dark bar below 

 eye. Length 2f inches. New Jersey to Florida, in clear, sluggish 

 streams; a beautiful little fish, (gloriosus, glorious). 



Bryttns gloriosm, HOLBROOK, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1855, 51, Cooper River, South Caro- 

 lina. 

 Hemioplites simulans, COPE, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1868, 218, Tuckahoe Creek, near 



Richmond, Virginia. (Coll. Cope.) 

 Enneacatithus pinniger, JORDAN, Bull, x, U. S. Nat. Mus., 27, 1877, Tar River, Kinston, North 



Carolina; specimens with bright colors and very high fins; probably not worthy of varietal 



distinction. 

 Enneacanthus margarotis, GILL & JOBDAN, Bull, x, U. S. Nat. Mus., 28, 1877, Beesley Point, 



New Jersey. 

 ? Copelandia* criarcha, JORDAN, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1878, 56, type specimen received from 



Dr. Philo K. Hoy, said to be from Menomonee River, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 



this is probably an error, and the specimens really came from New Jersey. 

 Enneacanthus simulans, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 470, 1883. 

 Enneacanlhus gloriosus, BOLLMAN, Z. c., 564. 

 Enneacanthus eriarchus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 469, 1883; BOLLMAN, I. c., 564. 



457. MESOGONISTIUS,t Gill. 

 (BANDED SUNFISHES.) 



Mesogonistius, GILL, Arner. Jour. Sci. and Arts., 1864, 92, (chsetodon). 



Body short and deep, compressed. Mouth small. Teeth present on 

 vomer and palatines, none on the tongue ; supplemental maxillary bone 

 small. Gill rakers rather strong, dentate. Opercle ending in two flat 

 points, with a dermal border ; preopercle entire. Scales large. Dorsal 

 with 10 spines ; outline of the fin angulated, the middle spines being much 

 longer than some of the posterior ones ; anal fin much smaller than the 

 dorsal, with 3 spines: caudal fin posteriorly rounded ; pectoral obtusely 

 pointed, the upper rays longest. Size small, (/utaof, middle; yuvia, angle; 

 ioriov, sail.) 



* Enneacanthus eriarchus (Jordan): 



Dorsal X, 7; anal IV, 8; scales 33. Ventral spine reaching anal. Olivaceous; vertical fins 

 with round, pale spots. Only two specimens known; the original type, purporting to be from 

 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, another from Tabo Creek, Missouri. Both these specimens were received 

 from Dr. P. R. Hoy. There is no doubt a confusion of localities, and probably both came from 

 Delaware River, perhaps from Dr. Abbott's collection. This is especially probable, as a 

 specimen of Stolephorus brownii was found in the same collection, also attributed to Milwaukee. 



fDr. Boulenger unites this genus and Enneacanthus with Apomolis. In our judgment Apomotis 

 is scarcely distinct from Lepomis, with which genus Mesogonistius and Enneacanthus have no very 

 close affinities. 



