288 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



depressed; eye rather ismall; cleft of mouth moderate; ventral 

 fins Grayed, below or slightly in front of dorsal; anal fin much 

 shorter than dorsal; pectorals rather narrow, rounded, placed 

 low, with 12 to 15 rays, which are much articulated; caudal 

 rounded; preopercle and preorbital with mucous pores; branchi- 

 o;stegals six; gill rakers short, thick. Size small. Three species, 

 very isimilar to each other, inhabiting the waters of the United 

 States and Austria. 



145 Umbra limi (Kirtland) 



Mud Minnotv; Dogfish 



Hydrargira limi Kirtland, Bost. Jour, Nat. Hist. Ill, 277, pi. II, fig. 4, 

 1841. 



Hydrargira fusca Thompson, Nat. Hist. Vermont, 137, 1842, Lake Cham- 

 plain. 



Hydrargira atricauda De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 220, 1842. ' 



Hydrargyra fusca Stoeer,' Syn. Fish. N. A. 182, 1846. 



Umbra limi Gunthee, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 232, 1866; Jordan & Gil- 

 bert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 350, 1883; Bean, Fishes Penna. 88, 

 1893; Jordan & Eveemann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 623, 1896. 



The mud minnow has a comparatively short and stout body, its 

 depth not equal to the length of the head and about one fourth 

 of total without caudal. The length of the head equals two 

 sevenths of the total. The head is flattened above and rather 

 large. D. 14; A. 9; Y. 6. Scales in lateral line 35, in transverse 

 series 15. 



The color is dark olive or greenish, and the sides have irregular, 

 narrow, pale bars, which are sometimes obscure or absent. A 

 black bar at the base of the tail. 



The mud minnow, mud dace or dogfish is found in the Great 

 lakes region from Lake Champlain to Minnesota, being most 

 abundant in Wisconsin. It is occasionally taken in the Ohio 

 valley. It was not found by Dr Meek at Ithaca; but was taken 

 in small numbers near Cayuga and Montezuma. The fish was 

 taken by U. S. Fish Commission collectors in Griffon creek, Chau- 

 mont N. Y. July 7, and in Mill creek, Sacketts Harbor N. Y. 

 July 2. De Kay had specimens from Lake Champlain. 



It grows to a length of 4 inches. It has no value whatever 

 except as food for other species. Like the related mud minnow 



