114 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
San Marcos River at San Marcos, 76 from Guadalupe River near New Braunfels, 2 from Big 
White Oak Bayou, 17 from- Buffalo Bayou, 5 from Hunter Creek at Houston, 12 from 
Trinity River, and 3 from Neckes River near Palestine. 
161. Etheostoma lepidum (B. & G.). Upper tributaries of the Rio Nueces (as Boleosoma lepida types, 
Baird & Girard, 1853). Rio Leona (as Pceciliehtliys lepidus, Girard, 1859, pi. vm, figs. 
14-17). Brownsville (as Pceciliehtliys lepidus, Jordan, 1878). Rio Lampasas at Belton, Rio 
Colorado at Austin, Rio San Marcos at San Marcos, and Rio Comal at N ew Braunfels (Jordan 
& Gilbert, 1886). Our own collection contains 13 specimens of this darter from San Marcos 
River at San Marcos and 9 from Comal Creek at New Braunfels. In all of these the cheeks and 
opercles are entirely naked. Examination shows considerable variation in the development 
of the lateral line and in the number of scales on the two sides of the body. The number 
of scales in a longitudinal series varies from 48 to 54, and the difference between the two 
sides is usually 2 or 3 scales. The following tabular statement shows the variation in the 
9 specimens from New Braunfels. In this table the series composing the lateral line itself is 
included with those designated “above the lateral line.” 
162. Etheostoma lepidogenys sp. nov. Allied to Etheostoma lepidum. Head (including opercular 
flap), 4; depth, 5; eye, 4; snout, 4; dorsal, x-12; anal, xi-7 or 8. Scales, 7-54 to 61-9, lateral 
line straight and incomplete, 32 to 38 pores. Body moderately stout, head heavy, snout 
short, blunt and decurved, back little elevated, caudal peduncle deep, its least depth 2 in 
head. Mouth rather small, but little oblique, lower jaw slightly included, premaxillary 
just reaching front of orbit, not protractile (i. e., frenum present). Gill-membranes scarcely 
united. Fins moderate, soft dorsal higher than spinous portion, pectoral short, only as 
long as head, not reaching beyond tips of ventrals ; veutrals short, distance from their 
tips to origin of anal equals half length of head; anal rather small, scarcely reaching 
tips of soft dorsal when depressed. Seales strongly ctenoid, cheeks densely scaled, opercles 
and breast entirely naked, nape scaled; median line of belly with ordinary scales, not 
deciduous. In the larger specimen, which is 2 inches long, there are on the right side 
57 scales in a longitudinal series, upon 38 of which pores are developed, while upon the 
left side there are but 54 scales, upon 35 of which pores are developed. The second speci- 
men, If inches long, has 61 scales upon the right side with pores in 38 of them, and 55 upon 
the left with only 35 developed pores. This shows a considerable variation, not only among 
individuals, but between the two sides of the same individual. Color in alcohol: Head 
dark above, sides pale, a dark line forward from eye to tip of snout and another broader 
one straight downward from the eye, broadest at lower end ; a dark postocular spot fol- 
lowed by a fainter one on the opercle; dark humeral scale present; side of body with about 
13 dark vertical bars, the first crossing over the back just in front of the spinous dorsal, 
the next four indistinct except on back where they widen into large blotches, the sixth 
crossing the back between the two dorsals ; the seventh to tenth, inclusive, are under the soft 
dorsal; the eleventh crosses just back of it, while the thirteenth is at the base of the caudal 
fin; spinous dorsal pale at base, next a broad dark band, then a narrow pale one which is 
followed by a pale blue one, probably blue in life, and lastly the fin is tipped with a very 
narrow margin of white; soft dorsal marbled or vermiculated with brown, the largest, 
