.i82 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



with a somewhat ruddy reflection. Cheek and opercle with brassy, 

 ruddy and olivaceous reflections. Lips dusky. Inside of gill- 

 opening with grayish-dusky. A black blotch at base of caudal. 

 Iris brown. Length 2^ inches. A young example about ij4 

 inches in length had the following colors in life. More uniform 

 olivaceous, each scale with an apparent dark edge. Base of caudal 

 with a black spot transversely. Pectoral, ventral and anal pale 

 or translucent brown. Each pale spot in lateral line distinct. 

 Peritoneum not showing through body-walls as plainly as in 

 large example. Longitudinal blackish line only distinct on head 

 and in costal region. Lower surface of body translucent brown- 

 ish. Side of head variegated with dull dusky horizontally directed 

 lines. Lower surface of head pale translucent brownish. Anothei 

 example of intermediate size was colored as follows during life. 

 Head beautifully variegated with metallic hues of golden or red- 

 dish. One of latter follows lower margin of preorbital, below 

 orbit, on back from lower margin of eye to opercular blotch, and 

 with margin pinkish-golden. A similar line from upper margin of 

 orbit back to beginning of lateral line. Subopercle with a lilac 

 hue. A transverse or vertical black band continued below eye 

 across cheek. Iris reddish hued. Thorax with greenish and 

 golden tints. Lower side of body, especially posteriorly, with 

 many dull lilac-purple spots. Soft dorsal, anal and caudal with 

 numerous pale brown spots. Pectoral pale olive-brown, tinted 

 rather deeply with dark brassy, axil blackish. Ventral with' lower 

 margin pale bluish, first three rays dusky, especially distally. 

 Bases of dorsal, anal and caudal with olivaceous tints. All from 

 the Wading River near Speedwell in April of 1904. 



Abundant, and found at most all times of the year. They 

 appear to me most abundant during the summer months, when 

 they have been taken in clear, deep water with muddy bottoms 

 and also' in the long eel-grass. It is more common, however, to 

 take them in shallow pools of clear water that have a deep bottom 

 of soft mud. In such places they remain altogether concealed, 

 but may easily be scooped out with the mud. They vary consid - 

 erably with the locality, some of those of the cedar-stained waters 

 being much darker than those of paler waters or clear streams. 



