NOTES ON FISHES FROM THE LOWER POTOMAC RIVER. 
65 
sexes and all sizes were seined. Large schools of the young are often left, by the 
receding tide, in shallow depressions in the sand. 
Several young specimens, about seven-tenths of an inch in length, agree in having 
the body silvery white, with about eight irregular crossbars and with irregularly 
rounded blotches of similar color along the back, some of these communicating with 
the transverse markings; a narrow blackish bar at base of caudal; a rounded black 
spot on posterior part of dorsal; dorsal fin slightly behind (notin advance of) ventrals; 
a quadrate black spot about half width of eye immediately below that organ. 
In the adult specimens collected and in the male figured the origin of the dorsal fin 
is well in front of the ventrals and not behind, as given by Jordan and Gilbert.* 
The variegated minnow is known as the u sheepshead minnow” among fishermen 
of tbe island, a name arising from the resemblance between this fish and the sheepshead, 
and also, in some instances, from the belief that it is the young of that species. 
Eighty-nine specimens. 
3. Fundulus majalis (Walbaum). “Bull-minnow”; Mayfish. (PI. xix.) 
The least abundant of the killifishes. In company with the two following species 
it enters the guts and ditches on St. George Island at high tide, and the specimens 
collected were taken in these situations. Eight adult specimens were obtained, four 
being of each sex. The males varied from 4.50 to 5.12 inches in length, and the females 
from 4.00 to 5.75 inches, the average length being 4.69 inches for males and 4.97 inches 
for females. 
Mne specimens of apparently .young fish are referred to this species. They much 
resemble F. majalis in general shape, but differ somewhat from the published descrip- 
tions in color, markings, fins, etc., as will appear from the following description: 
Color in life, silvery white, becoming pale green on the back. Body with 7 to 9 
dark transverse bars (black in life) one-half the width of eye in some specimens, nar- 
rower in others, beginning at the median line of the back, but not quite reaching the 
middle line below, the last bar much darker than the others and frequently taking the 
form of an irregular spot at the base of the caudal fin. Fins white, unmarked. Body 
elongated. Head long, depressed, terminating acutely; mouth terminal, slightly 
oblique. Eye somewhat less than snout and contained 1£ times in interorbital space. 
Anal fin higher than and posterior to dorsal and equal to half length of head. Ven- 
trals short, not reaching anal. Tail rounded. Head, 3 ; eye, 4 ; depth, 4£. Dorsal, 13 
or 14 (15 in one specimen) ; anal, 11. Scales in lateral line, 33 to 37 ; in transverse line, 
13. Length, £ to lf^- inches. Abundant in low, sandy places where shallow pools are 
left by the receding tide. 
4. Fundulus diaphanus (Le Sueur). Spring minnow. (PL xix.) 
The most abundant of the killifishes, occurring with F. heteroclitus in tide ditches 
and brackish ponds. 
Examination of a large series of specimens collected in this region leads to the 
conclusion that there are prominent sexual differences which do not appear to have 
been previously noted. Concerning the crossbars which form such a noticeable fea- 
ture in this species, the current descriptions give 15 to 25 narrow, blackish bars on a 
silvery background. This description, so far as the fish collected by the writer in the 
’’Synopsis of the Fishes of North America, 
F. C. B. 1890—5 
