FISHES OF OKEFINOKEE SWAMP 
373 
group one finds considerable ambiguity and difiference of opinion 
as to the characters best describing the species. 
The palatine bones are without teeth and the lower pharyngeals 
are broad and slightly concave. The teeth on the lower pharyn- 
geals are rounded at the top not pointed as in L. pallidus. This 
characteristic, according to Jordan and Evermann,’^® should place 
our specimens in the genus Bupomotis. Other characters which 
others ascribe to the genus do not, however, agree with our 
specimen. Bean and Weed ^ figure the pharyngeals. 
The fins, which have been of considerable taxonomic importance, 
are here interesting because they do not always agree with de- 
scriptions given. Boulenger ® states that the pectorals are acutely 
pointed in the genus Bupomotis and not in Apomotis and Lepomis. 
By that token our specimens are Bupomotis. Jordan and Ever- 
mann say that the pectorals of Bupomotis are longer than the 
head in all species except in B. pallidus and Forbes and Richard- 
son ^ claim that the pectorals of E. her os reach to a vertical from 
the base of the last anal while in B. gibbosus they scarcely reach 
the front of the anal. Since the pectorals are shorter than the 
head and do not reach beyond the insertion of the anal and since 
the scale formulae of our specimens do not agree with those of 
either B- pallidus or B. gibbosus it is patent that there must be 
some trouble. Since our specimens agree with the description 
of Lepomis heros Jordan and Gilbert in practically every respect 
other than those mentioned above it is believed that our specimens 
belong to that species. Our specimens show, then, that the length 
of the pectorals may be variable and consequently is not of the 
taxonomic importance placed upon it by some. 
Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede). 
“Trout,” Large-mouthed Black Bass. 
In our whole stay within the swamp (1912) we saw none of this 
species nor have the Lees sent us out any specimens. Just be- 
fore our entrance into the swamp we saw some nice examples 
of “trout” (one foot long) which were caught in Suwannee 
river at Fargo where we were assured they were not uncommon. 
(This species was quite commonly collected by the party in 
1921.) 
Boleichthys fusiformis (Girard). 
Darter. 
The descriptions of this species are very confusing. We show 
in the discussion below conflicting statements not only in the de- 
