Gila (robusta ?) "Verde Bony - tail " 
On July 12, 1886, a man brought about 30 pounds of Verde 
Bony-tails to Port Verde, Arizona, for sale. The largest weighed 
2-l/2 lbs. Avoir. They were very fat, and had been caught in a 
net. 
Selecting a specimen 12 inches long, I counted 96 scales in 
the lateral line. Between the anterior portion of the dorsal 
fin and the lateral line were 24 rows; between lateral line and 
ventral fin 13 rows of scales. 
Box Canon of Verde River, below Port Verde, Arizona, April 
3, 1887. Went fishing for "Colorado Salmon" about midnight and 
caught one "bony-tail" ( Gila robusta ?) in a hole near camp, thus 
demonstrating that they do sometimes bite at night. 
Port Verde, Arizona, August 31, 1884. To-dajr went fishing 
in Beaver Creek, near where it empties into the Verde River. 
Caught 13 specimens of a species of Gila , which exhibited a reg¬ 
ular gradation in size from the smallest measuring 79 mm. in 
length to the largest. Prom these 13 specimens I give the fol¬ 
lowing description: Largest specimen .- Length to base of 
caudal fin, 240 mm. Head (length of side), 70. Bye, 10. Greatest 
depth of body, 61. Pin rays .- L. 9; P. 13; V. 9; A. 9; C. about 
24. Length of dorsal fin, 29; its height in front, 38. Lateral 
line with 84 scales. 
Colors.- 
Iris golden. Dorsal aspect dark, 
2 
dotted with gold and silver; below, silvery white. Pins, orange- 
tinted. Sides with obsolete blackish bands most distinct towards 
the tail .^j Length of caudal, to tip of upper lobe, 52; to tip of 
lower lobe, 49; emargination, 24. Height of posterior ray of dor¬ 
sal, 18. Dorsal fin is posterior to ventral. ^ The smalles t spec ¬ 
imen is lighter colored, and has a gold band extending from the 
superior extremity of the opercular opening to the base of the 
tail. J 
The specim en second in size had 90 scales in the lateral line. 
The flesh of a dove was used for a bait in fishing for these fishes; 
and one or two were caught on fish, of their own species. ) 
Port Verde, Arizona, Sept. 11, 1884. "Mrs. Mearns shot the 
first bird and caught the first fish ( Gila ) in the Verde River." 
3307 b. Verde Bony-tail ( Gila ). Length to caudal, 280 mm.; 
greatest depth of body, 75; head, measured from snout to cpercle, 
76; length of eye, 11; length of dorsal, 35; height of dorsal, 
43; caudal, 55. Pin rays: D. 1.9; P. 16 (about, much crowded 
posteriorly and hard to count); V. 9; A. p. Lateral line of 95 
scales. Specimen made up in a skin; in American Mus. Hat. Hist., 
H. Y. 
Oak Creek, near Indian Garden, August 12-14, 1885. "Caught 
an abundance of fine 'Bony-tails•." 
