﻿118 
  

  

  XL.-CfASTEROSTEIDJaE. 
  

  

  GASTEROSTEUS-KL.) 
  Brev. 
  

   6r, 
  noveboracensis. 
  

  

  New- 
  York 
  Stickleback. 
  

  

  This 
  pretty 
  little 
  fish 
  has 
  a 
  fusiform, 
  compressed 
  body, 
  the 
  

   sides 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  from 
  30 
  to 
  33 
  

   transverse 
  plates. 
  The 
  prominent 
  laieral 
  line 
  is 
  concurrent 
  

   with 
  the 
  back, 
  but 
  at 
  about 
  the 
  nineteenth 
  or 
  twentieth 
  lat- 
  

   eral 
  plate 
  it 
  becomes 
  elevated 
  into 
  sharp, 
  compressed 
  spines, 
  

   that 
  form 
  a 
  distinct 
  ridge 
  along 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  tail. 
  The 
  

   small 
  head 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  striate 
  bony 
  plates, 
  flattened 
  

   above, 
  and 
  sloping 
  in 
  a 
  straight 
  line 
  from 
  the 
  nape. 
  The 
  

   mouth, 
  which 
  is 
  slightly 
  protractile, 
  has 
  a 
  vertical 
  aspect 
  ; 
  

   the 
  lower 
  jaw 
  is 
  longest, 
  lilyes 
  large. 
  Minute 
  subequal 
  

   teeth 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  row 
  on 
  each 
  jaw 
  ; 
  none 
  elsewhere. 
  Tail 
  

   very 
  slender. 
  The 
  first 
  dorsal 
  spine 
  is 
  acute, 
  placed 
  above 
  

   the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  pectoral, 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  broad 
  base 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  serrated 
  

   on 
  the 
  sides, 
  and 
  furnished 
  with 
  a 
  membrane. 
  The 
  dorsal 
  

   spine 
  is 
  long, 
  the 
  first 
  ray 
  is 
  largest, 
  the 
  others 
  gradually 
  

   decrease 
  in 
  length 
  to 
  the 
  last. 
  Pectorals 
  long 
  and 
  rounded. 
  

   The 
  place 
  of 
  the 
  ventral 
  is 
  supplied 
  by 
  a 
  single 
  ray 
  on 
  each 
  

   side, 
  reaching 
  to 
  the 
  posterior 
  extremity 
  of 
  the 
  pubic 
  bone 
  ; 
  

   it 
  has 
  a 
  dilated 
  base, 
  and 
  is 
  distinctly 
  toothed 
  on 
  its 
  side. 
  

   Under 
  each 
  ventral 
  spine 
  is 
  a 
  soft 
  flexible 
  spine. 
  The 
  anal 
  

   fin 
  is 
  long, 
  slightly 
  emarginato, 
  with 
  one 
  curved 
  spine. 
  Cau- 
  

   dal 
  fin 
  emarginate. 
  Bluish-gray 
  above, 
  silvery 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  

   and 
  beneath. 
  Length, 
  2 
  inches. 
  

  

  Fin-rays 
  :— 
  D. 
  1+1+1, 
  12 
  ; 
  P. 
  11 
  ; 
  V. 
  1, 
  1 
  ; 
  A. 
  1, 
  12 
  ; 
  C. 
  13. 
  

   Gaslcroslcus 
  novchoraccnsis, 
  Cuv. 
  <fe 
  Val., 
  IV, 
  p. 
  502, 
  pi. 
  98, 
  

   fig. 
  3; 
  DeKay, 
  New 
  York 
  Faun. 
  Fish, 
  p. 
  CO, 
  pi. 
  6, 
  fig. 
  17. 
  

  

  But 
  a 
  single 
  specimen 
  of 
  this 
  Stickleback 
  Avas 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  

   northern 
  part 
  of 
  Siuepuxent 
  bay, 
  in 
  a 
  place 
  where 
  the 
  water 
  

   was 
  but 
  little 
  brackish. 
  On 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  luxurious 
  

   growth 
  of 
  water-plants, 
  it 
  was 
  impossible 
  to 
  haul 
  the 
  fine- 
  

  

  