* 



y MEGALOTIS. 



220 ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF FRESH- WATER FISHES 



A. Scales of the cheek small in eight or more series. 

 End maxillary to anter. part pupil ; scales 6*7 — 45 — 15, pectoral do. 

 minute; form oval; depth 2-33 in length; eye large, 3-3 in head to 

 superior fissure, equal muzzle and interorbital width ; opercular 

 flap long, black, not light boi'dered; unspotted olive to golden, . appendix. 



AA. Cheek scales in 4 — 6 rows. 



«. Long dorsal radii equal muzzle and orbit. 

 Compressed, dorsal line elevated; spinous dorsal higher than soft; 

 anal spines very long; scales 6"7 — 14*16; mouth small, maxillary 

 to anterior line of pupil ; orbit large ; pectoral fin to beyond anal ; 

 steel-gray, with short concentric opercular spot; fins blackish, with 

 spot on edge second dorsal, ....... longispinis. 



««. Long dorsal radii equal from end muzzle to posterior 

 margin pupil. 

 Form elevated, depth 2-1 to 2-2 in length; opercular appendage^ 



long, black; scales 6*7 — 12-14. 

 «. A black spot on hinder edge second dorsal ; pectoral scales large, i' 

 /3. No spot on dorsal ; pectoral scales small. J 



Form more elongate; depth 2-5 in length; orbit 3'5 in head to upper 

 fissure, less than interorbital width ; maxillary scarcely to line of 



*Lepomis longispinis Cope, Proc. Acad. N. Sci. 1865, 83. 



Three older specimens of this species from near Leavenworth, Kansas, sent by Saml. H. Edge, exhibit a 

 more discoid form than the smaller first described; the depth enters the length 2-33 times (originally given 

 2-66, which ought to be rather 2'5), and the head three times. There are indistinct dusky cross-bars on the 

 sides in all the specimens. The spines, compressed form and coloration readily distinguish this fish. 

 Lepomis megalotis m. Ichthelis do. Eafiuesque, Ichthyol. Ohiensis, 1820, 29. L. incisor Cope, Proc. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci. 1865, 83. 

 This is probably Pomoiis incisor of Cuv. Val., but if so, Kafinesque's name must take precedence. It is 

 abundant ia the west : var. « from the Kiskiminitas (A. H. Guss) and from Michigan, and var. i3 from the 

 Upper Wabash. Kirtland's Pomotis nitida must, from ligure and description, resemble it closely. In both, 

 the sides of the head are beautifully banded with blue. 

 Lepomis auritus m. Ichthelis auritus Kafinesque, 1. c. 29. 



A single specimen of this handsome species, from the Miami River, agrees so closely ™'''i{atine<!aue's 

 description as to be safely identified with it, but for one peculiarity: our specimen has but ^^ dorsal spines 

 which, by their regularity and lengths, appear to be normal. I suspect it to be not s^iowever, and look for 

 future specimens with X radii. 



The general form of the fish is that of the Lepomis mineopas, a resemblaniincreased by the short dorsal 

 spines ; of these the first is quite short, and the last two equal. 



End of maxillary attains anterior margin of pupil; head to superiorasis opercular flap 2'62 in leno-th 

 Jaws equal. Caudal rather rounded, strongly emarginate. Kadii E3, neither it nor the ventrals quite 

 attaining anal. Scales 5 — 41 — 14. Colors light rufous to golden, wout spots; no spots on fins. Total 

 length 4 in. 3 lin. ; depth at I dorsal 18 lio. ; at I articulated ray the san from end muzz!e to first dorsal ray 

 the same ; basis dorsal. 19 lines Front rather steep, and at the same tJ elongate. 



