—F. W. PUTNAM. : 
Se 
 * ASSEMBLING” amon Morus.—I send you the following 
like seven or eight years ago I was engaged in mak 
_ ber of cocoons of the Attacus Promethea moth (Harris) W3 
234 ZOOLOGY. 
rays of the dorsal are also slightly too long in proportion to the 
size of the fish figured, and the pectoral fin is also a little too long. 
The anal fin should be about one ray nearer the caudal. In the ` 
Louisville specimen the two dorsals are slightly connected at the 
base by a low membrane. This specimen has been so long in 
spirits that no markings of color can be traced, but the membrane 
of the fins shows dark shadings made up of small dark points. 
Taking it for granted that the label is correct, this little fish 
must have made the perilous passage up the Mississippi river into 
the Ohio river, a journey north of about eight degrees of lati- 
tude and of many hundred miles distance. That it is not impos- 
sible for the fish to have made such a journey from salt to fresh 
water, we have the knowledge expressed by Dr. Günther as fol- 
lows :—“ This family [Gobiide] offers numerous instances of the 
fact, that a part of the individuals of one and the same species 
are entirely confined to fresh waters, whilst others live in the sea.” 
Independently of the interest given by the very probably correct 
label locating the place of capture as the Ohio river, the exami- 
nation of the fish has proved that Girard’s species is a valid one and 
distinct from the Gobiosoma alepidotum of our eastern Atlantic 
coast. This last is a more slender fish and differs in several other 
particulars. Should any of our readers have the opportunity of col- - 
lecting the small fishes of the rivers flowing into the gulf of Mex- 
ico it would be well to be on the lookout for other specimens of 
the Gobiosoma molestum, which can be easily distinguished from 
r 
account of some of my observations, which you are at liberty t 
publish if you think it of any interest to your readers. Something eo 
lection of insects and during the winter had collected sn p 
>A 
