288 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUAl. 



produced dies out, when another is suddenly made. The fins ah 

 erect, the dark bands, and a ruddy tint to the ventral spines and 

 the front of the dorsal produces a beautiful combination. They 

 were easily captured in a dip-net if one followed their course a 

 short distance by scooping up a lot oi sphagnum, into which they 

 would usually dart when disturbed. This sunfish is frequently 

 found in the Delaware in the same localities as Bnneacanthus 

 gloriosus, with which it associates, together with Ameiuriis nehii- 

 losus, Brmna crysolencas, Fimdidus diapkanus, Notropis chaly- 

 bcBus, and Perca Hard esc ens. I have not at any time found it espe- 

 cially abundant there, seldom more than 4 or 5 being taken during 

 a day. It prefers deep ponds oi clear water at times, though I 

 have never taken either it or Bnneacanthus gloriosus on a hook. 

 It also' may be found in weedy streams of several feet in width. 

 When living it is one oi the most beautiful of our fishes, some 

 examples being blushed with pink ov rosy. It appears to be 

 rather hardy, as I have frequently kept it in aquaria, and on 

 several occasions it was kept alive for some time in the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences o-f Philadelphia. After a short time the 

 colors seem tO' fade and lose their brilliancy in captivity. Exam- 

 ples are frequently exposed for sale by aquaria dealers in large 

 cities. It seems to be especially abundant in the cedar-stained 

 streams, and I have examined a large series from pools at the 

 head o^f the Egg Harbor River, Pool Tolsoms, Cedar Swamp 

 Creek, Camden County, Brown Mills and Trenton. 



Pomotis chcetodon Baird, 9th An. Rep. Smiths. Inst., 1854, p. 



324. 



Bryttns chcetodon Abbott, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, 

 p. 96.— Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 807.— Abbott, Am. Nat., 

 IV, 1870, pp. 101, 102, 106. 



Mesogonisfins chcetodon Abbott, Hardwicke's Sci. Gossip, 

 1871, p. 29, fig. 15. — Abbott, Rep. U. S. F. Com., 1875-76, p. 

 837. — Jordan, An. N. Y. Acad. Sci., I, 1879, p. 98. — Cope, Proc. 

 Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1883, p. 132.— Abbott, Nat. Rambles, 

 1885, p. 477.— Bean, Bull. U. S. F. Com., VII, 1887, p. 142, from 

 Baird. — Cope, Am. Nat., XXX, 1896, p. 943. 



