FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 45 

large and deeply forked. The lateral line sweeps downward in along and shallow 
curve, becoming nearly median over the analabaseey Oriani seAw ii 9isoVE 9) Pols 
scales, 6-39-4 ; teeth, 2, 4d-4, 2 or 1, some of them with a slight hook and narrow grind- 
ing surface. The specimens described, No. 8735, United States National Museum, 
are four to four and one-half inches long. Inspirits the upper parts are light brown, 
the sides and cheeks silvery, and the belly golden brown; the fins all pale; the 
width of the silvery stripe is equal to diameter of eye. In life the upper parts are 
greenish ; breeding males have the snout rosy. 
‘The emerald minnow is found in the Great Lake region, the Ohio 
valley and south to Tennessee, being abundant in lakes and in rapids 
of rivers. The variety found in Pennsylvania has a shorter snout and 
a smaller eye than the typical atherinoides and has received the specific 
name dinemus; but the differences are not supposed to be constant. 
The emerald minnow reaches a length of five inches; it is gregarious 
like other minnows, and its golden lateral stripe on aclear green ground 
makes it a handsome species. 
Genus ERICYMBA Core. 
61. Ericymba buccata Copr. 
The Silver-mouthed Dace. 
The body is moderately elongate, and its width is about two-thirds of its height, 
which is contained four and two-thirds times in the total length without caudal. The 
peduncle of the tail is rather short, its least depth equal to one-half greatest depth 
of body. The head is comparatively long, its length contained three and one-half 
times in the total without caudal. The snout is long and pointed, its length nearly 
one-third that of head. The mouth is small, slightly oblique, and the maxilla 
reaches to the vertical through the anterior nostril. The lower jaw is included 
within the upper. The eye is one-fourth to one-third as long as the head, and longer 
than the interorbital space. The bones of the lower part of the head are remarkably 
cavernous. The dorsal origin is over the ventral, over the tenth scale of the lateral 
line, and nearly midway between tip of snout and base of caudal. The dorsal base 
is as long as the postorbital part of the head, and the longest ray equals the head 
without thesnout. The ventral reaches to the vent; the pectoral nearly to ventral 
origin. The anal origin is under the twenty-first. scale of the lateral line. The anal 
base is one-third as long as the head, and the longest ray equals the length of snout 
and eye combined. ‘The caudal is moderate in size and well forked. The lateral 
line is only slightly bent downward over the pectoral. D. ii, 7; A. ii, 7; V.7; P. 
15; scales, 5-33 to 36-4; teeth, 1, 4-4, 0, the inner row frequently absent, some of the 
teeth with a slight hook. In spirits the color is light brown; a broad silvery band 
on the sides and cheeks; fins ali pale. In life the sidesshow bluish reflections, and 
there is a dark dorsal streak. Breeding males have neither tubercles nor bright 
colors. 
Length of the specimens, No. 36,803, United States National Museum, three 
inches. 
This singular and interesting little fish is found in the Ohio and Mis- 
sissippi valleys, and has recently been taken in the Mississippi and in 
west Florida. Northward it ranges to Michigan and west to Kansas. 
It is extremely common in the Ohio valley in small clear brooks and in 
ponds. 
