47,S 



[Cope ^ ''^ [June 7^ 



Ptychostojnus brevieeps, Cope. 



Species nova. 



An elongate species with small head, and very convex occipital region, 

 characterized by the presence of X ventral radii. 



Depth .25 the length; orbit 3.75 in head, 1.75 in interorbital width. 

 Cranial ridges not strong. Basis of dorsal five-sixths the anterior height, 

 radii XIII; free margin deeply concave. Body compressed, dorsal line 

 very narrow. Scales 6 — 45 — 5. Muzzle short conic, projecting beyond 

 mouth. Latter small, lijis short, the i^osterior well developed, not emar- 

 ginate. 



Color Avhite, yellowish below; scales above with a little black at their 

 bases. 



Length of specimen examined, ten inches. 



This fish belongs to the basin of the Ohio. I have a specimen from the 

 Yonghiogheny. The number of the ventral radii is very constant in this 

 genus, but if the increased number should prove to be accidental, the gen- 

 eral characters of this fish would ajiproximate it to Pt. aureolus. 



A peculiarity of the type specimen consists in an additional ray in the 

 anal fin — eight instead of seven in the other species, and the alteration of 

 the third and fifth to perfectly simple, unbranched rays, scarcely attain- 

 ing the edge of the fin. This may be abnormal. 



73. Pttchostomus coisius, Cope. 

 Spades nova. 



This fish represents the P. coregonus in the section of the genus with 

 fully developed lips. 



Form flat, with elevated dorsal line, and small conic head. D. radii 

 always XIV. Eye large, mouth exceedingly small, far overpassed by the 

 conic muzzle. The suiierior regions are smoky and tlie scales with black 

 bases; below, with the inferior fins, white. Dorsal tin dusky. 



The lips of this species are smaller than in Pt. crassilahris, though the 

 inferior is similarly truncate behind. The muzzle is much more conic and 

 produced than in that fish. The dorsal radii are more numerous. 



Numerous specimens from the Yadkin Eiver, ISTorth Carolina, wdiere it 

 is taken in large numbers with Pt. eoHapsus, Pt. robustus, etc., but is of 

 less value than they. 



74. Ptychostomtjs cervinus. Cope. 



JoLirn. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. 1868, 235, Tab. iii, fig. 4. 



This species constitutes a well marked section of the genus, character- 

 ized by a cylindric form, the transverse diameter of the body being equal 

 to the vertical. Before describing this species in detail, I may premise 

 that I have found no little difficulty in attempting to identify the Pt. me- 

 lanops, Raf., of Dr. Kirtland's fishes of the Ohio. The figure resembles 

 the Pt. crassilabris very closely, but the description of "body full, cylin- 

 dric," will not allow of the identification. Should the fin formula of Pt. 

 breviceps be abnormal, the compressed body and lack of spots point to 

 specific diversity. I had thought the present species intended, but the 



