Percoidea, or Perch-like Fishes 529 
form indeed a royal series of little fishes. Only a few can be 
noticed here, but all of them are described in detail and many 
Fic. 419.—Etheostoma jordani Gilbert. Chestnut Creek, Verbena, Ala. 
are figured by Jordan and Evermann (‘Fishes of North and 
Middle America,” Vol. I). 
Most beautiful of all fresh-water fishes is the blue-breasted 
darter, Etheostoma camurum, red-blue and olive, with red spots, 
Fie. 420.—Blue-breasted Darter, Etheostoma camurum (Cope),the most brilliantly 
colored of American river fishes. Cumberland Gap, Tenn. 
like a trout. This species lives in clear streams of the Ohio 
valley, a region perhaps to be regarded as the center of abun- 
dance of these fishes. 
Very similar is the trout-spotted darter, Etheostoma macu- 
latum, dusky and red, with round crimson spots. Etheostoma 
rufilineatum of the French Broad is one of the most gaudy of 
fishes. Etheostoma australe of Chihuahua ranges farthest south 
of all the darters, and Etheostoma boreale of Quebec perhaps 
farthest north, though Etheostoma towe, found from Iowa to the 
Saskatchewan, may dispute this honor. LEtheostoma ceruleum, 
