SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



241 



snout; mouth small, the maxillary extending as far as pupil; gill-rakers short and feeble, 8 or 

 9 on lower arm of first arch; width of opercular flap equal to eye, its length nearly twice width; 

 scales in lateral series 35 to 45, in transverse series 5 + 14; rows of scales on cheek, about 5; 

 dorsal rays x,10 to x,12, the longest spine about .33 head; anal rays iii,8 to iir,10, the longest 

 spine about length of longest dorsal spine; pectorals .66 to .75 head; ventrals very long, 

 extending beyond anal origin. Color: back blue, under parts orange, the sides with orange 

 spots and blue streaks; opercular flap with pale blue or red margin, sometimes wanting; cheeks 

 orange with blue stripes; hps and stripes before eye blue; soft dorsal and anal rays blue, mem- 

 branes yellow, (megalotis, large-eared.) 



• 



The long-eared sun-fish is an abundant species throughout most of its range, 

 from the Great Lakes region to Texas, but in North Carolina, which marks its 

 southeastern limit, it is not common. Evermann & Cox record a single specimen 

 from Neuse River near Raleigh. The only other record is that of Cope from 

 '•the upper waters of the French Broad", which, however, may refer to another 

 species, although there is nothing improbable in the reference. A length of 

 8 inches is reached. 



208. LEPOMIS INCISOR (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 



"Blue Joe"; "Blue Perch"; Blue Bream (S. 0.); Blue Sun-fish; Oopper-nosed 



Bream; Blue-gill. 



Pomotia incisor Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Natm-elle des Poissons, vii, 466, 1831; New Orleans. 



t Lepomis notatus, Cope, 18705, 453; French Broad River. 



Lepomia pur-purescens Cope, 1870&, 454; Yadkin River in Roane County, N. C 



Lepomis pallidus, Jordan, 18895, 152; Spring Creek (tributary of French Broad). Smith, 1893ii, 196, 200; 



Edenton Bay, Roanoke River at Weldon. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1005, pi. clx, fig. 427. Smith, 



1901,134; Lake Mattamuskeet. (Not Labrus pallidus MiichiU.) 

 Lepomis incisor, Smith, Science, May 12, 1904, 746. 



Diagnosis. — Body very short and deep in old examples, more slender in young, the depth 

 contained 1.8 to 2.25 times in total length; length of head contained about 3 times in total 

 length; mouth small, oblique, the lower jaw slightly longer, maxillary reaching as far as anterior 

 margin of eye; eye about equal to snout and rather less than .25 length of head; opercular flap 

 of moderate length and broad; gill-rakers rather short, stout, about 11 or 12 on long arm of 

 first arch, the longest .25 diameter of eye; scales in lateral series.about 42 to 52, of which 40 to 

 50 have pores; scales in transverse series 7-M5 or 16; scales on cheeks in 5 rows; dorsal rays 

 x,ll or x,12, the spines strong, the first as long as snout and half as long as the fifth, the 

 longest soft rays about half length of head; anal rays ni,10 to ni,12, the spines stout, the first 

 less than eye, the longest soft rays . 5 length of head; caudal notched; pectorals very long and 

 pointed, about length of head, reaching beyond origin of anal; ventrals extending nearly to 

 anal, the spine nearly as long as the third anal. Color: adults light or dark green, with a 

 beautiful purplish luster in life, the beUy coppery red; sides with dark transverse bars, most 

 distinct when the fish is in the water; cheeks and jaws bright purplish blue; opercular flap 

 black; a black blotch on base of dorsal and anal posteriorly; young duller, the sides silvery, 

 the fin blotches obscure, (incisor, cutter.) 



The blue-gill has a wide distribution, extending from western New York 

 throughout the Great Lakes to Florida and Texas. In North Carolina it has 

 been collected at various points. In creeks near Edenton and in Roanoke 

 River at Weldon it was found to be common by the present writer. Jordan 

 reported it as scarce in Spring Creek (tributary of the French Broad) at Hot 

 Springs. A specimen collected at Wilmington by Prof. S. F. Baird in April, 1877, 



