12 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY 11. 



Scales about 5-50-6. Fin-rays : — dorsal IX (or VIIl), 12 ; anal II, 7 

 or 8. 



Spinous dorsal low and short, the spines about equal, the longest less 

 than half the height of the soft rays of the second dorsal. The bases of 

 the two fins are about equal, and they are slightly connected by mem- 

 brane. 



In the male specimen, the dorsal spines are somewhat swollen and 

 white at their tips, but rather less so than is usual in the genus. 



Color partly obliterated by the alcohol. The male is rather dark, not 

 spotted, striped, or banded. The female is somewhat mottled, and has 

 about six cross-blotches on the back. The second dorsal, caudal, and 

 pectorals are barred with black and pale, the caudal especially so. The 

 other fins are black in the male ; in the female, the lower fins are pale, 

 A large black humeral spot. Length 2| inches. 



This species is technically an JStheostoma, of which genus it possesses 

 the general form, fin coloration, and dorsal fin. It has the mouth of 

 Foecilichthys, the scaly head of Nanostoma, with a condition of the lat- 

 eral line intermediate between Pcecilichthys and Nanostoma. The other 

 species of Etheostoma have the head naked. 



The specific name fontlnalis was used by Prof. Putnam on the suppo- 

 sition that this species is identical with that described under the same 

 name by Kafinesque. 



ANALYSIS OF GENERA OF ETHEOSTOMATID^. 

 The following analytical synopsis gives the characters at present as- 

 signed to the genera of Etheostomatidce admitted in this paper. The 

 categories recognized are very closely related, but are susceptible of 

 definition i — ■ 



*. Lateral line complete ; body much elongate, suboylindrical, pellucid, -with at least 

 the entire ventral region naked : 

 a. Body entirely naked, except the caudal peduncle and the lateral line ; dorsal fins 

 high, well separated, equal to the anal fin and to each other ; a single anal 

 spine ; head entirely scaleless; inouth large, with vomerine teeth, the up- 

 per jaw subprotractile Ammocrypta, 1. 



<aa. Body covered above with small thin imbedded scales, the ventral region entirely 

 naked, the dorsal scales obscure but present ; dorsal fins small, wide apart ; 

 two anal spines ; cheeks and opercles scaly ; mouth large, with vomerine 

 teeth, the upper jaw subprotractile Pleurolepis, 2. 



**. Lateral line complete ; body less elongate, entirely scaly, or with definitely naked 

 areas on throat, neck, or ventral line: 

 t. Second dorsal not larger than spinous dorsal, and little, if any, larger than anal; 

 the dorsal fins distinct, the first the longer and usually the larger ; body 

 littls compressed; two distinct anal spines (except in Alvordius j^eltatus, 

 a species of uncertain affinities) : 



