HAEE-LIP SUCKER. 833 



the dorsal ; body slender; dorsal fin low ; color oliraceons or blniah-biown above; sides 

 and belly silvery; lower fias fainily orange ; head 4J; depih 4f ; D. 12 ; A. 7 ; V. 9 ; 

 scales 5-45-5. Length 1 to IJ feet. 



Habitat, Ohio Valley. 



Diagnosis. — This species will be known at sight from the fact that its 

 under jaw is " hare-lipped," i.e. the fleshy lip is split to the bone. 



Habits — This species was first taken by Professor Brayton and the 

 writer in Chickamauga River in Georgia, a tributary of the Tennessee. 

 Later, we obtained a third specimen in Elk River, Tennessee. In April, 

 1878, much to my surprise, a fine large specimen was sent to me by Mr. 

 J. H. Klippart of the Ohio State Fish Commission. This specimen was 

 taken in the Scioto River, and Mr. Klippart tells us that the species is 

 well known to the fishermen at Columbus, who call the fish " May 

 Sucker," as it spawns in May. That so conspicuous a species should so 

 long have eluded the ichthyologists in the Ohio Basin, is extremely re- 

 markable. The habits of this species are doubtless similar to those of 

 allied Red Horse. 



FAMILY IX. CYPRINID^. THE CARPS. 



' Cyprinoid fishes with the margin of the npper jaw formed by the premaxlllaries alone, 

 and the lower pharyngeal bones well developed, falciform, nearly parallel with the gill 

 arches, tsach provided with one to three series of teeth in small number, from three to 

 seven in the main row, a<id a less nnmber in the others; head naked; bsdy almost 

 always scaly ; barbels two or four (absent in most of onr genera and not large in any) ; 

 belly U6uj,lly rounded, rarely compressed, never serrated ; gill openings moderate, 

 separated by an isthmus ; no adipose fin ; dorsal fin short in American species (elongate 

 in many old world forms) ; ventral fias abdominal ; air-bladder usually large, commonly 

 divided into an anterior and posterior lobe, rarely wanting ; stomach without append- 

 ages, appearing as a simple enlargement of the intestine. Fishes of moderate or small 

 size, inhabiting the fresh waters of the old world and of North America. Genera about 

 two hundred ; species nearly a thousand ; excessively abundant where found, both in 

 individuals and in species, and from their great uniformity in size, form and coloration, 

 constituting one of the most difScult groups in Natural History in which to distingnish 

 genera and species. The genera found in Ohio, with the exceptions of Campoatoma, 

 Exogloaaum, Chrosomus, and few others, are all very closely related, and are separated by 

 characters which, though reasonably constant, are often difficult to determine. From 

 time to time different authors have proposed to throw most of these small genera into the 

 genus LeuoisouB, a procedure, which, without farther discussion, may be said to have 

 always led to confusion. The spring or breeding dress of the male fishes is often pecu- 

 liar. The top of the head and often the fins, or various portions of the body are covered 

 with small tubercles, outgrowths from the epidermis. The fins and parts of the body 

 in young spring males are often charged with bright pigment, the prevaling color of 

 which is red, although in some genera it is satin- white, yellow, or blaok. 



53 



