332 THE CYPRINOIDS OF CENTRAL NEW JERSEY. 
pretty sure of finding intermediate forms, which link these three 
Hybopses very closely. This presence of intermediate forms is — 
not confined, however, to these small minnows. - In every large 
collection of cyprinoids we have yet made, there occurred some in- 
dividuals, that varied in one or more directions from typical forms, — 
and yet not in such a manner as to indicate probably permanen 
specific or generic peculiarities. ; 
12. Hybopsis Hudsonius (Clinton). ‘‘Spawn eater.” This inter: 
cies are characteristic; both those of DeWitt Clinton,* who first 
described this fish, and that given by DeKay,t are quite accurate, 
. and give the best representations of it we have seen. Prof. Cope’s} 5 
figure of “ Hybopsis Hudsonius” we believe to be that of the fol- 
lowing species, as will appear. At all events, it isa much more 
marked variety of the true Hudsonius, than the small blue Stille 
we have described is of the typical S. Americana. Of the true 
H. Hudsonius, DeKay writes: “It is called “‘spawn-eater,” from 
an idea entertained by fishermen that it lives exclusively on the — 
spawn of other fishes.” This belief has no doubt arisen from the 
‘fact of its having a “‘sucker”-like habit of feeling carefully over 
the bottom of the stream with its peculiar ‘‘ telescopic” mouth ex- 
tended, and so sucking up such food as it finds to its liking. The 
examination of the stomachs of many specimens shows that, 
the Stilbe Americana, it feeds very largely on small mollusca, 
cover every stone and other stationary object in the beds of our 
streams. We do not think the charge of spawn-eating can be 
laid to tbis fish with more reason than to all the other cyprinoids- 
Indeed, without an exception, the ova of all other fishes are, t0 
every species of fish, a luscious morsel; and we are inclined to i 
think that many fish are so far unnatural (?) as to devour the 
newly-laid ova of their own kind. i 
The very blunt snout, almost at right angles with the forehead, 
gives this fish an abrupt profile, which, especially when living ™ 
are compared, is a ready method of distinguishing this pe 
from the closely allied Hybopsis phaénna Cope, with its more © 
pered, regular profile, 
Ẹ 
Ẹ 
* Annals Lyceum of Nat. History of N. Y. Vol. 1, p. 49, pl. 2, fig. 2 
t Fishes of New York, p. 206, pl. xxxiv, fig. 109. Vol. 1 
+ Synopsis of Cyprinidw of Penn. Pl. xii, fig. 3. (Trans. Am. Phil. $0¢ "°" ™ 
