FAMILY CYPRINIDJS: — LEUCISCUS. 209 



THE SHINING DACE. 



Leuciscus nitidus. 

 PLATE XXXm. FIG. 103 — (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Characteristics. Body silvery white. Head with mucous pores. Tail deeply emarginate, not 

 furcate. Length two to ten inches. 



Description. Body rather deep, compressed, elongate. Scales large, caducous, orbicular ; 

 the free margins festooned with elevated radiate striate lines, the intervals being concentrically 

 striate ; the scales ascend some distance up the caudal fin. There are seven scales in an 

 oblique line from the first dorsal ray to the lateral line, and five below. Forty-six were counted 

 along the lateral line, which is curved downward, and concurrent with the abdomen. Head 

 small, smooth and scaleless ; flattened above, with a curved series of mucous pores on each 

 side above the eyes, extending to the nostrils, and are apparently continuations of the lateral 

 line. Eyes moderate, 0'3 in diameter and 0*65 apart. Length of the head 1'6. Nostrils 

 contiguous; theposterior largest, with a valvular membrane. Snout blunt ; under jaw shortest, 

 both edentate. Sharp teeth in the pharyngeals. Tongue conspicuous, attached, with trans- 

 verse rugae. The same rugse, with slightly pectinated margins, in the roof of the mouth. 

 Stomach capacious. Air-bladder double ; the posterior portion longest. 



The dorsal fin quadrate, higher than long, and commencing rather nearer the end of the 

 snout than to the base of the caudal ; the anterior ray longest. Pectorals small, slender and 

 pointed, placed below the angle of the opercle. Ventrals beneath the dorsal ; the second and 

 third rays longest. The anal commences half an inch behind the tips of the ventrals, emargi- 

 nate, with its second and third rays longest. Caudal fin deeply emarginate, not forked. 



Color. Upper part of the head and body olive brown ; the former darker. Sides silvery. 

 Pupil black, with a silvery ring. Gill-covers lustrous silvery. Pectoral fins tinged with light 

 yellow, reddish on its inner base. Dorsal and caudal fins brownish. On the small specimens 

 only did we notice a bright greenish stripe above the lateral line, which appeared only in 

 certain lights. 



Length, 2-0- 10- 0. 



Fin rays, D. 8 ; P. 16 ; V. 10 ; A. 9 ; C. 19 f . 



This species was taken in July, in Lake Champlain, where it appeared to be common. It 

 was called there, White Dace and Shiner. 



Fauna — Part 4. 27 



