88 FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 

the dorsal. The depth of the body slightly exceeds the length of the head and 
equals two-sevenths of the total without caudal. The eye is about one-third as long 
as the head. 
Color bluish-olive ; sides with about ten longitudinal stripes formed by brownish 
lines following the edges of the rows of scales. The males have the stripes inter- 
rupted and they are further distinguished by about nine dusky bands. In adults 
there is a dark spot below the eye. 
D.7; A. 9. Scales 35-10. 
The striped top minnow is found in lakes and sluggish streams in the 
Ohio valley and part of the Mississippi valley. Its known western 
limit is Iowa. It grows to a length of two and one-half inches and has 
no importance except as food for larger fishes. It frequents large 
bodies of water and swims at or near the surface and is very sluggish 
in its movements. 
Famity UMBRIDZ (Tse Mvp Minnows). 
Genus UMBRA (Kramer) Miter. 
101. Umbra limi (Kirrianp). 
The Mud Minnow. 
The mud-minnow has a comparatively short and stout body, its depth not equal 
to the length of the head and about one-fourth of total without caudal. The length 
of the head equals two-sevenths of the total. The head is flattened above and 
rather large. 
D. 14; A. 9; ventral 6. Scales in lateral line 35; in transverse series 15. 
The color is dark olive or greenish and the sides have irregular, narrow pale bars, 
which are sometimes obscure or absent. A black bar at the base of the tail. 
The mud-minnow, mud-dace or dog-fish is found in the Great Lake 
region from Lake Champlain to Minnesota, being most abundant in 
Wisconsin. It is occasionally taken in the Ohio valley. It grows toa 
length of four inches and has no value whatever except as food for other 
species. Like the related mud-minnow next mentioned it is hardy and 
interesting in the aquarium. The name mud-minnow relates toa singu- 
lar habit of the fish of burrowing into the mud when the water evapo- 
rates out of a pond. It has been stated that this fish has been plowed 
up in ponds and swamps which have become dried out. Professor 
Baird has recorded the following fact about this species: “A locality 
which with the water perfectly clear will appear destitute of fish will per- 
haps yield a number of mud-fish on stirring up the mud on the bottom 
and drawing a seine through it. Ditches on the plains of Wisconsin, or 
mere bog-holes affording lodgement to nothing beyond tadpoles may 
thus be found full of melanuras.” 
102. Umbra pygmea (DrkKay). 
The Striped Mud Minnow. 
The body of this mud-minnow is oblong, robust; its greatest depth is contained 
slightly more than four times in the total Jength without the caudal and is not equal 
to length of head. The snout is short; eye moderate, about equal to snout, fourand 
one-half in head. Cardiform teeth on premaxillaries, lower jaw, vomer and pal- 
