LEAST DARTEK. 981 



downward and forward ftom eje; head '-'i; depth 5^; D. IX, 11; A. II, 7; Lat. 1. 58. 

 Length 2J iDChes. 



Habitat, Northwestern Ohio to Minnesota; abundant northwestward; noticed only 

 in tributaries of the Manmee, in Ohio. 



Habits. — This species seems to be found in lakes and their tributaries 

 more abundantly than is usual in this group. It is a brightly colored 

 and active little fish. 



Genus 82. MICROPEECA. Patnam. 



Mioroperca, Putnam, Bull. Mns. Comp. Zool, i, 1863, 4. 



Type, Microperca punctwlata, Putnam. 

 Etymology, mikroe, small; perke, perch. 



Body rather short, compressed ; mouth moderate ; the jaws about equal, the upper 

 not protractile ; vomerine teeth present; scales large; lateral line wanting, or on one 

 or two scales only ; dorsal fin small, subeqnal, well separated, the first with six or 

 seyen spines ; anal fin much siualler than second dorsal, with two, or rarely one, spines, 

 which are well developed ; pattern of coloration greenish, with dusky bars and zigzag 

 markings ; size very small, probably the smallest of the spiny rayed fishes. 



155. Microperca punctulata Putnam. 



L>east Darter. 



Microperca punctulata, Putnam, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., i, 1863, 4. — Jobdajt, Man. Vert., 

 2d Ed., 1878, a28, and elsewhere. 



Description: — Body rather short and dftp, somewhat compressed ; the back arched, the 

 caudal peduncle rather long ; head moderate, the snout somewhat decurved ; the mouth 

 moderate, terminal, oblique ; chdeks naked ; opercles somewhat scaly ; neck and chest 

 naked ; scales quite large, strongly ctenoid ; fins all small ; anal spines strong, the first 

 usually the largest ; coloration olivaceous, the Sides closely speckled and with vague 

 bars and zigzag markiigs; second dorsal and caudal barred; dark streaks radiating 

 from eye ; a dark humeral spot ; .head 31 ; depth 4i; D. VI to VII, 10 ; A. II, 6 ; Lat. 1. 

 34. Length 1^ incties. , 



Habitat, tributaries of the Upper Great Lakes and the northern parts of the Mississ- 

 ippi and Ohio Valleys ; abundant northwestward. In distribution and probably in 

 habits similar to PadlicMhys eos. 



FAMILY XXIII. SCI^NID^. THE CROAKERS. 



Body compressed, more or less elongate, covered with rather thin, ctenoid scales; 

 lateral line continuous, extending on the caudal fin ; head prominent, covered with 

 scales; bones of the skull cavernous, the muciferous system highly developed, the sur- 

 face of the skull, when the flesh is ramoved, very uneven ; chin usually with pores, 

 sometimes with barbels ; mouth small or large, teeth in one or more series, the outer of 

 which are sometimes enlarged; canines often present; no incisor nor molar teeth ; no 



