94 THE FISHES OF OHIO. 



Gemis : Dipffsion. 



Diplesion blennioides (Rafinesque). Green-sided Darter. 



Head about 4^; depth 434 to 6. D. XII to XIV-12 to 15; A. II, 8 or 9; 

 scales 6-58 to 7S-14. Body elongate, subterete. Head short, profile very 

 convex, snout very blunt, cheeks tumid; eyes large, 3^, high up and close 

 together; mouth small, inferior; gill membranes broadly connected. Cheeks 

 with fine scales, opercles with large ones, breast naked Color dark olive 

 green, tessellated above; sides with 7 or 8 Y-shaped, dark bars, these some- 

 times confluent to form a dark zigzag band. In highly colored males a 

 number of broad, bright green bands almost encircle the hody. Females 

 and young may be quite dull, but the pattern of the dark marks on the side 

 is characteristic. Length 3 to 5 inches. 



The Green-sided Darter is an abundant resident of the clear, 

 rapid streams of the state, found especially on stony ripples. 

 Rafinesque records it from the Ohio and Muskingum. Kirtland 

 mentions its occurrence in the state, and Jordan gives it as 

 " abundant." Hamilton County, " abundant in East Mill creek 

 and Little Miami river," Henshall, 1888; "Vermillion river, 

 scarce, not uncommon in Sandusky Bay," McCormick, 1892 ; 

 Maumee river system, taken in all the larg; streams (except St. 

 Mary's river) and .nearly all the smaller ones, Kirsch, 1893; 

 Franklin County, abundant, and of general distribution, William- 

 son and Osburn, 1897 >" Big Jelloway creek system, common on 

 ripples, Park:r, Williamson and Osburn, 1898 ; John's creek at 

 Waterloo, Huron river at Milan, Ashtabula creek, Wabash river 

 at Celina, Stillwater creek at Dayton, North Fork of Licking 

 river at Newark, R. C. Osburn, 1899; Mahoning river, E. B. 

 Williamson, 1900; Cuyahoga river at Hawkins, Breakneck creek 

 at Kent, Grand river at Painesville, Chagrin river at Willoughby, 

 Wheeling creek at Bridgeport, Ohio river and McMahon creek at 

 Bellaire, R. C. Osburn, 1900. 



Genus: BofFOSOMA. 



Boleosoma nigrum (Rafinesque). Johnny Darter. 



Head about 4; depth 5 to 6; eye 3^ to 4. D. IX-11 to 14; A. I, 7 to 9; 

 scales 5-44 to 55-9. Body fusiform, slender. Head moderate, snout some- 

 what bluntly decurved; mouth small, lower jaw included. Cheeks and breast 

 usually naked; opercles scaly. Anal spine short and weak; fins all high. 



