CYPEINID^. — XXVI. 49 



48. LAGOCHILA Jordan & Brayton. 

 (Quassilabia Jord. & Brayt. ; Lagochila being set aside, on account 

 of its similarity to Lagocheilus.) (Xayas, hare ; xflXor, lip.) 

 86. L. lacera Jordan & Brayton. Hare-lip Sucker. Rabbit- 

 mouth Sucker. Pea-lip Sucker. Cut-lips. Split-mouth. 

 Upper lip plicate, much prolonged ; lower reduced to two separate 

 elongate, papillose lobes, the split between them reaching the 

 dentary bones, which have a horny sheath; lower lip separated 

 from upper by a deep fissure at angle ; skin of cheeks sheathing 

 this fissure ; body rather slender, much as in M. cervinum ; oper- 

 cle small; head very small, conical; dorsal low. Color pale, lower 

 fins slightly reddish. Head 5; depth 4f. D. 12. Scales 5-45-5, 

 L. 18. Wabash R. (Evermann), Scioto R., Clinch R., Chicka- 

 mauga R., and White R., Ark.; most common in the Ozark 

 Mountains ; a most singular fish. (Lat., torn.) 



Family XXVI. CYPRINID^. (The Minnows.) 



Head naked, body usually scaly; margin of upper jaw formed 

 by premaxillaries only ; mouth toothless ; barbels 2 to 4 (absent in 

 most of our genera and not large in any) ; lower pharyngeal bones 

 well developed, falciform, nearly parallel with the gill arches, each 

 provided with one to three series of teeth in small number, rarely 

 more than seven on each side ; belly usually rounded, rarely com- 

 pressed, never serrated; gill openings moderate, the membranes 

 joined to the isthmus; no adipose fin; dorsal fin (in American 

 species) short, with less than ten rays ; air-bladder usually large, 

 commonly divided into an anterior and a, posterior lobe, rarely 

 wanting; stomach without appendages, appearing as a simple en- 

 largement of the intestines. 



Fishes of moderate or small size, inhabiting the fresh waters of 

 the Old World and of North America. Genera about 200, species 

 nearly 1,000; excessively abundant where found, both in individ- 

 uals and in species, and from their great uniformity in size, form, 

 and coloration constituting one of the most difficult groups in 

 zoology in which to distinguish species. Ours are mostly of 

 smaller size than those of the Old W^orld, several of the larger 

 European types being represented in America by Catostomoid 

 forms. Our largest eastern species, Semotilus bullaris, rarely 

 attains a weight of three or four pounds, and a length of nearly 

 eighteen inches. The smallest species of Notropis scarcely reach 

 a length of two inches. 



The spring or breeding dress of the male fishes is often peculiar. 

 The top of the head, and often the fins, snout, or other portions of 

 the body, are covered with small tubercles, outgrowths from the 



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