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HARXARO rXIX'KRSlTY

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MUSEUM or OOMPAEATIVE ZOOLOGY.

lilKT OF

^'-?(jL '^cLiU^^ y 'Cru.

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0^

Ichthyologia
Ohiensis

The edition cottsists of two
hundred and fifty copies all

/ ) / ^ numbered

CONSTANTINE SAMUEL RAFINESQUE
[ From his Analyse de la Nature. ]

Ichthyologia Ohiensis

or Natural History of the
Fishes InhabitinH the Paver
Ohio and its Tributary Streams

BY

C. S. Rafinesque

A verbatim et literatim reprint of
the original, with a Sketch of the Life,
the Ichthyologic Work, and the Ich-
thyologic Bibliography of Rafinesque

BY

Richard Ellsworth Call, m.sc m.a. m.d. Ph.D

Cleveland

The Burrows Brothers Co

1899

Copyright, 1899

BY

The Burrows Brothers Co

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The Imperial Press, Cleveland

Contents

Preface ....

II

Biographic Sketch

• 15

ICHTHYOLOGIC WoRK

• 25

ICHTHYOLOGIA OhIENSIS (Text)

• 37

BiBLIOGRAPHIA ICHTHYOLOGIA

. 163

Appendix

• 173

Illustrations

CoNSTANTiNE Samuel Rafinesque Frofittspiece

From his Analyse de la Nature.

Facsimile of Title-Page of the Original . 39

From the copy in the Library of the Historical and
Philosophical Society of Ohio.

Sketch in Rafinesque's Letter to Dr. Daniel

Drake . . . . -175

Preface

The great importance of the Ichthyologia Ohiensis in
ichthyologic nomenclature, coupled with its rarity, —
the existence of but eight copies being certainly
known, — makes necessary the republication of the
work. , In this edition, every fact of value to the
bibliographer has been studiously regarded. Our
reprint is an exact copy of the original, including all
typographic errors, excepting only the style of type.

We follow the original publication of the Fishes of
the River Ohio as presented in The Western Review and
Miscellajieous Magazine, a literary journal, published
at Lexington, Kentucky, by William Gibbes Hunt,
during the years 1 8 19- 21. The publication of the
papers in question began in December, 18 19, and
proceeded at more or less regular intervals until
their completion in November, 1820. During the
publication of the magazine articles, Rafinesque had
the matter arranged in octavo forms, and reprinted
from the same type. Owing to the fact that the
separate introductory titles to the several articles
were omitted in the oversheets thus arranged, the
pagination is slightly different, and the page matter
is not exactly the same, in the place of original
publication and in Rafinesque's separate edition. To
facilitate reference to both editions, the magazine
pagination is inserted in its proper place in the text,
bracketed and in roman type ; the pagination of the
Ichthyologia is likewise inserted, in italic type.

12

ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

To further facilitate bibliographic accuracy, the
subjoined table will serve to help. Especially is this
inserted here in order that certain data, omitted in a
similar list by Dr. David S. Jordan, in his " Review
of Rafinesque's Memoirs on North American Fishes,"
U. S. National Museum, 1877, Bulletin no. ix., p. 7,
may be supplied, and that certain errors therein, in
the matter of pagination and numbering of the parts
of volumes, may be corrected :

VOL.

NO.

DATE.

SERIES NO.

W. R. & M. M.

I. 0.

I.

5-

December, 1819.

I.

305-313-

I-I3-

6.

January, 1820.

II.

361-377.

13-29.

II.

I.

February, 1820.

III.

49-57-

29-37.

3-

April, 1S20.

IV.

169-177.

37-45-

4-

May, 1S20.

V.

235- 242.

45-53-

5-

June, 1820.

VI.

299-307-

53-60.

6.

July, 1820.

VII.

355-363-

60-69.

III.

3-

October, 1820.

VIII.

165-173-

69-77.

4-

November, 1820.

IX.

244- 252.

77-84.

By the aid of this table, the investigator of the fresh-
water fishes of the Ohio valley will be able to verify
any citation from either the IchtJiyologia or from the
original publication in The Western Review and Mis-
cellaneous Magazi?ie.

I am under great obligations to Reuben T. Durrett,
LL.D., of Louisville, Kentucky, for the opportunity
to transcribe the text of this reprint from the orig-
inal, and for numerous favors connected with the
consultation of rare bibliographic matter in his
library. Robert Clarke, Esq., of Cincinnati, has
enabled me to consult the only copy of the IcJitJiyologia
known to exist in the city, in the library of the His-
torical and Philosophical Society of Ohio. He also
had copied for me the additions which appear as a

PREFACE 13

supplement in the Ichthyologia, together with the

index. Rafinesque therein has corrected certain

errors in typography, and made a few changes in

nomenclature, which usually escape the attention of

those students who depend for information solely on

the very rare magazine in which his papers originally

appeared.

The bibliography is reproduced from my Life and

Writings of Rafinesque, which appeared in January,

1895, as " Filson Club Publications Number Ten."

The portrait is reproduced from the same volume,

and is that which appeared in 18 10 in the Analyse de

la Nature, in Sicily.

R. E. C.
Brooklyn, N. Y., December, 1898.

Biographic Sketch

Sketch of the Life of Rafinesque

The author of the Ichthyologia Ohiensis, Constantine
Samuel Rafinesque, was born in Galata, a suburb of
Constantinople, October 22, 1783. His father was a
French merchant of Marseilles, and his mother,
Grecian born, of German parentage, from Saxony.
Very little is known of the antecedents of Rafinesque,
and the family name is now extinct. The early life
of the lad was not dissimilar from that of his asso-
ciates, save in the one respect that he early developed
a love for Nature and the thousand varied ways in
which her life laws were exemplified around him.
The birds, plants, insects, and fish of his various
homes — for his family frequently changed its resi-
dence, owing to the business necessities of his
father — early attracted his attention, and became
the objects of his curious study. He seems to have
been allowed full liberty in these matters, his scho-
lastic training suffering to some extent through his
great love of outdoor life. His father died when
the lad was about eleven years of age, after which
time his mother had the sole direction of his train-
ing. His early reading was characterized by inor-
dinate love of books of travel and adventure, further
fostered, perhaps, by his father's accounts of his
travels, upon mercantile expeditions to foreign lands.
At a very early period Rafinesque determined to
become "a great traveler," and for some years of

18 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

his early manhood it would appear that his ambition
was to be gratified.

Rafinesque made two voyages to America, the first
in the year 1802. In the spring of that year, in com-
pany with his younger brother Anthony Augustus,
he landed in Philadelphia, " provided with an
adventure and many letters of introduction." His
father had conducted various mercantile adventures
in that city, and had died there of the yellow fever, in
1793. Rafinesque himself had, at this time, settled
upon the life of a merchant for his future occupation,
and to the duties of his new relation he addressed
himself with energy. But his love for the woods
and fields, the flowers and animals there to be found,
so well developed during the years of his boyhood,
soon enticed him from the counting-room and the
wearisome duties of a clerkship, and he began anew
to cultivate Nature. He had already done very much
among the plants of Italy and in France, in the
region round about Marseilles, and he was not
entirely unacquainted with the Linnean system of
classification and nomenclature. On his arrival in
America, from the very first the new and rich plant
life had attracted his attention, and the long walks
he took about the suburbs of Philadelphia soon made
him acquainted with its floral wealth. He minutely
described all the plants he found, as he himself
remarks, and made drawings of many of them.
Though bent on fortune, he had time for recreation,
taken in these long scientific walks, and laid the
foundation for his botanical work on American plants
in later years.

During this stay in Philadelphia, Rafinesque made
the acquaintance of John D, Clifford, afterward a

BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH 19

resident of Lexington, Kentucky, whicla chance
acquaintance, first formed through business relations,
afterward ripened into a warm personal and scien-
tific friendship. This intimacy had powerful influ-
ence in determining the later sequence of events in
the life of our author.

During the summer of 1802, the yellow fever again
made its appearance in Philadelphia, and Rafinesque,
remembering the sad experience of his father in
1793, abandoned the clerkship and the city for the
summer, and went into the country. Here he de-
voted himself assiduously to the collection and the
study of plants, increasing his knowledge of the
region by extensive collecting trips which took him
far within the borders of the neighboring States.
During this summer he was afforded abundant oppor-
tunity thus to gratify a taste which had been culti-
vated since boyhood ; and we are not surprised to find
that, at its conclusion, Rafinesque returned to the
drudgery of business with laggard steps, and that
the irksome quiet of the office could not satisfactorily
replace the joys and pleasures of the woods and fields.

In 1804, Rafinesque resigned his clerkship to his
younger brother, Augustus, and here ended, for a
time, all attempt at a business life. He now devoted
almost all his time to the collection of the rich flora
about Philadelphia and the accessible portions of the
States adjoining, having already concluded to return
to Europe. How extensive these collections were
one will never know; but, if a judgment be based
upon the usual activities of Rafinesque in these mat-
ters, he must have secured large numbers of plants.
Thus passed the period until January, 1805, when
both Rafinesque and his brother, " who would follow

20 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

him," set sail for Sicily. He reached that beautiful
island of the Mediterranean in the following May.

For the next ten years he resided in Sicily, and,
though these years were characterized by scientific
work accomplished under difficulties and under pres-
sure of business interests which would have made
any other man wealthy, they brought to Rafinesque
little save disappointment. This period of his life
was also marked by some of the harshest experiences
which come to men, and these seem to have had
great weight in determining the course of the mental
life of Rafinesque. It will be sufficient to pass over
this period with the barest mention of the more im-
portant episodes. Among these was the mesalliance
of Rafinesque with one Josephine Vaccaro, an adven-
turess, to whom he considered himself legally
married, though no ritual, either civic or ecclesiastic,
was ever celebrated. There resulted from this union
two children, — a boy who died in 1815, at the age of
one year, and a daughter who became a ballet dancer
and singer in Palermo. Harassed by business re-
verses, and the mercantile treachery of the Sicilians
with whom he had commercial relations, Rafinesque
finally determined again to visit America and to try
anew the fortunes of the New World. He left his
wife in charge of some of his property, and set sail
with the balance of his possessions in the summer of
18 1 5. His experiences on this memorable voyage
read like a romance, ending in shipwreck, at the east-
ern end of Long Island Sound, on Fisher's Island,
involving the total loss of all his years of toil, both
scientific and mercantile. At home, too, fortune
proved fickle ; his wife ' * suddenly married Giovanni
Pizzalour, a comedian," and dissipated the remainder

BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH 21

of his possessions. Thus ended the domestic life of
Rafinesqiie, and thus ended his worldly prospects at
the time of his second visit to America. Few men
are there who would have done better than Rafi-
nesque did under these untoward circumstances.
Though broken in spirit and discouraged, he did not
completely surrender to the odds of the unequal
struggle, but started in anew to woo the coy goddess
men call Fortune; this time, however, with purely
scientific ends in view, and with nothing to hold
him, except painful recollections, to his unfortunate
past. Like a man he faced disaster, and like a man
he rose above adverse surroundings.

Two or three years passed in the neighborhood of
New York and Philadelphia, mainly devoted to scien-
tific work, and that work primarily botanical, when
Rafinesque conceived the plan of a botanical excur-
sion beyond the Alleghanies into the great valley of
the Ohio. At Louisville, on the Falls of the Ohio,
dwelt one Tarascon, a friend of his youth in Mar-
seilles ; and Clifford, whom he had met in Philadel-
phia, was now a resident of Lexington, the Athens
of the West at that time. The fame of Audubon, at
Henderson, had reached the ears of Rafinesque; and
he was not a stranger to that erratic scientific com-
munity which had established itself under Richard
Owen, at New Harmony, on the Wabash. This
latter community was a scientific center in the new
world, and Rafinesque knew some of the individuals
constituting its personnel. All these facts combined
to render the proposed excursion attractive to Rafi-
nesque, and in the year 1818 he set out, afoot, on the
long journey.

The incidents of travel were many, but must be

22 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

passed here in silence. The most important fact of
the expedition was the meeting with John D. Clif-
ford, at Lexington, who was instrumental in procur-
ing the election of Rafinesque to a professorship in
the great Transylvania University, then in the prime
of vigorous growth under the presidency of the
eminent Unitarian divine, Reverend Horace Holly.
This marks the period of the greatest intellectual
and literary attainments of Rafinesque, and gave him
the opportunity he so long had sought. He was in
a veritable new world; the plants and animals had
never been either collected or studied; the hand of
the husbandman had not yet destroyed much of the
primitive forest; untold wealth of natural forms
appealed to Rafinesque, the Nature-lover, as they
have rarely appealed to any man. To-day even, in
the face of the check which specialization furnishes
to scientific investigators, few men could withstand
this lavish display of new and unknown forms!
They were on every hand, in every glade and mead,
every brook and spring, the creeks, the rivers, the
very rocks themselves. Like a school-boy Rafinesque
searched and found, studied, described, drew, sent
abroad, the wonderful forms in which he, almost
alone, now reveled. Here was his one serious mis-
take ; but in face of the facts we may well pardon his
widely scattered energy.

Rafinesque remained nearly eight years at Tran-
sylvania University ; these were years of constant toil,
with no one to sympathize with his work, for his
friend Clifford had died in the second year of his
residence at Lexington. The exposure and hard
work, — for Rafinesque was an incessant worker, tak-
ing little rest, — coupled with that Sicilian " skeleton

BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH 2a

in the closet," had their influence in undermining
the once strong and vigorous mind ; and the close of
the Lexington residence marks the beginning of the
decadence of the mental clearness of Rafinesque,
who, henceforth, met 'with naught but misfortune.
But the important pages of the Ichthyologia Ohiensis
had been prepared and published, the other numer-
ous biologic papers had found their way to the world
of science, and the Rafinesque of succeeding years
has little or nothing of value to the man of science,
and particularly none to the ichthyologist.

Rafinesque left Lexington, in anger and haste, in
the year 1825, to become again a citizen of Philadel-
phia. After fifteen long years of further unequal
and lonely struggle, after all but complete mental
wreck, after the loss of mercantile emoluments, after
bitter personal animosities with scientific men, after
untoward experiences with the publishers of his
numerous books and pamphlets, Rafinesque surren-
dered to his last visitor, Death. Life closed in a lonely
garret, amid filth and poverty, at Philadelphia, in
the year 1840. He lies buried in an unmarked grave
in Ronaldson's Cemetery, Philadelphia, Ninth and
Catherine streets. Peace came at last to him who in
life knew none !

Ichthyologic Work

Ichthyologic Work

The papers and books published by Rafinesque
which relate to ichthyologic matters date from the
year 1810. The list is headed by the Caratteri di
alcuni nuovi generi, etc., based upon his studies of the
fishes of the Mediterranean. The field thus entered
was almost unoccupied, and there was little of sys-
tematic history before his time. The elder Pliny,
and a few since his time, had recorded various vaga-
ries and some valuable facts relating to the Mediter-
ranean forms ; but systematic ichthyology was unborn
until about the advent of Rafinesque, A single con-
temporary of Rafinesque, A. Risso, of Nice, had
accomplished some systematic work and laid the foun-
dations of the ichthyology of the Mediterranean.*
Whether Rafinesque knew of the work of Risso at
the time he published his first paper, is a matter of
difference of opinion. It is, however, quite certain
that, though Rafinesque described fifty-one new
genera and one hundred and fifty-four new species
of Mediterranean fishes in the Caratteri, his work was

*The full title of this famous work of Risso's, for which I am in-
debted to the courtesy of President David Starr Jordan, of Stanford
University, is as follows:

Ichthyologie | de Nice, | ou | Histoire Naturelle des Poissons | du
department des alpes maritimes; | Par A. Risso, | Membre associe
de I'Academie Imperiale de Turin, Corres- | pondant de la Societe

philomatique de Paris, etc. | | Est quadam prodire teniis, si non

datur ultra. | Horat. Epist. Lib. I. | | Avec II planches repre-

sentant 40 poissons nouveaux. | Paris, | Chez F. Schoell, rue des
Foss6s-Saint-Germain- | I'Auxerrois, No. 29. | | 1810.

28 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

less well done than that of Risso who immediately-
preceded him. Risso better characterized his new
forms; Rafinesqne, on the other hand, had already-
lapsed into those careless methods of description
which have caused succeeding naturalists so much
trouble, and have led to so great a confusion in estab-
lishing certain facts in nomenclature. Nevertheless,
Rafinesque had already discovered the inadequacy of
the Cuverian system, and had boldly made the on-
slaught on the ranks of the artificial genera. What-
ever else may be finally decided concerning the work
of Rafinesque on the fishes of the Mediterranean, it
will always be allowed that he shares equally with
Lac6pede, whose classic Histoire natiirelle des Poissons
was not unknown to him, the distinction of breaking
up the old-time heterogeneous assemblages of the
Cuverian system and of thus determining the forma-
tion of generic subdivisions. Indeed, it is quite
probable that Rafinesque saw this necessity before
any other writer, since the subdivisions of Lac6pede
are not, properly speaking, genera. Rafinesque seg-
regated the groups, suggested their terminology,
named the type, and in a very definite sense became
the father of the new regime.

The Caratteri was followed by several other papers,
noted in the bibliography at the close of this volume,
all of which related, so far as they concerned ichthyo-
logic matters, to the fauna of the Mediterranean.
The institution of additional genera, and the descrip-
tion of new species, occupy most of these papers.
But, in all this work, there are certain facts which
the student must ever carry in mind in seeking to
unravel the maze of the Mediterranean fishes. It
should always be remembered that Rafinesque de-

ICHTHYOLOGIC WORK 29

scribed from the fresh specimen ; he was a constant
visitor at the fish-markets of Palermo ; he had such
relations with the Sicilian fishermen that they brought
him all the rare and odd forms which fell in their
way. All, or nearly all, of the other earlier descrip-
tions were based upon alcoholic types, and their
diagnoses were made from shrunken and discolored
specimens ; add to this the fact that descriptive ter-
minology was yet in its infancy, and that exact
scientific processes of measurement and color schemes
were yet unknown, and the student will find a ready
solution of some of the more important discrepancies
between the work of Rafinesque and that of his
contemporaries.

It must ever be accounted a most unfortunate cir-
cumstance that Rafinesque did not preserve, in some
manner, the types of his genera. Once the technical
description was completed, with a reference to some
common form, if one chanced to be known, the fish
was thrown away or in some other manner failed of
preservation, Rafinesque had no further use for it!
At the time of his Sicilian residence, he enjoyed the
companionship and advice of the celebrated English
naturalist, Swainson, then living in Sicily, who has
recorded this habit of carelessness, and who persist-
ently yet vainly urged upon Rafinesque the necessity
of preserving his types. It is to Swainson's account
of these days that all modern students are indebted
for exact information concerning the lax methods of
Rafinesque.

In December, 1817, Rafinesque published his first
paper on American fishes. It appeared in The Ameri-
can Monthly Magazine and Critical Review^ vol. ii., pp.
120, 121, and was entitled " First Decade of new

30 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

North- American Fishes." During the next two
years Rafinesque published nine additional papers,
all but two of which appeared in various American
periodicals of that day. The other two were pub-
lished, one in France and one in England. All of
these papers dealt solely with the fishes of the inte-
rior fresh waters of the United States, and were
mainly concerned with fishes inhabiting the Ohio
River or its tributaries. In a very definite sense,
therefore, prior to the publication of the Ichthyologia
which began in the year 1819, Rafinesque laid the
foundations of North American fresh-water ichthyol-
ogy. Some of the genera and species which he then
established in occasional publications are still recog-
nized by students in this special field; others he
himself changed, or dropped into synonyniy, in the
one great work, the Ichthyologia. In this connection
it should be remembered that only a single paper
relating to American fresh-water fishes had as yet
appeared, and that one was written by the celebrated
and early naturalist Le Sueur, who had, in 18 17,
published his Notice de quelques Poissons d(fcouverts dans
les lacs dii Haut-Canada, durant I'etd de 1816.

There are certain facts of a bibliographic charac-
ter which the student may readily glean from the
Ichthyologia itself, and which will be passed over in
this place. Inasmuch as they relate mainly to the
dates and place of original publication they are, in
this connection, unimportant. But the nature of the
collections upon which the volume is based, the
localities at which Rafinesque collected, the fictitious
forms which he described on the authority of others,
the misapprehension of certain structural charac-
ters,— all are important, and must be understood, if

ICHTHYOLOGIC WORK 31

one would assign the author of the Ichthyologia to his
proper place in the history of American ichthyology.
So far as it is possible, these facts will now be
presented.

When Rafinesque entered upon his first western
tour, in the summer of 1818, he passed from Pitts-
burg, with numerous stops, to the Falls of the Ohio,
at Louisville, by means of an "ark," — a sort of
cabin flatboat common on the Ohio in the early
days. At each place where stops were made he
embraced the opportunity to acquire information
concerning the fishes, far more numerous at that time
than now, since sewerage and similar decimating
influences were at their minimum. Many of the facts
he gathered were noted in the neatly and regularly
kept note-books, for which Rafinesque was famous.
In addition to the knowledge acquired by observa-
tion, he received many items of information which
were in the nature of pure romances, communicated
by others. These Rafinesque accepted in good faith.
Both these classes of items were afterward embodied
in his published works, with scarcely a hint as to
either their source or their nature. But the first of
the really important personal collections were made by
him at the Falls of the Ohio, a locality abounding in
the smaller varieties, and remarkably rich in indi-
viduals of the genus EtJieostovia. One of the most
beautiful species belonging to this genus, the Etheos-
toma flabellattty was described from the Falls, where
it is still very abundant. Later, opportunity was
afforded to Rafinesque to collect in the Kentucky
River, at or near Frankfort; in the Cumberland,
both near Nashville and in that portion of its course
which is in southeastern Kentucky ; and in the Green

32 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

River, not far from Mammoth Cave. He also made
a small collection near Shepardsville, in the Salt
River. At all of these places more or less extensive
observations on the fishes were conducted, always on
the living forms, none of which were preserved after
general description in crude and ill-conceived termi-
nology. Some of his observations were recorded in
proper form ; but, later, he supplied from a treacher-
ous memory details which should have found place
in his original notes, taken at the riverside.

It is very evident, therefore, that the modern stu-
dent who would attempt to understand correctly the
species of Rafinesque must visit, with the original
descriptions at hand, the very streams which the
pioneer ichthyologist visited ; he must collect and
observe the fishes in a fresh state, and not after their
coloration has been destroyed and their forms dis-
torted by alcoholic preservation. He must also allow
for the dearth of a special literature, because there
was none in existence. The groupings and descrip-
tions were all, of necessity, at first hand. In a field
so wide, among forms so numerous, with individuals
often very closely related, as is the case in the large
and important genus Noiropis, before the days when
systematic zoology had been reduced to the strictest
methodical basis, when sexual variations were unsus-
pected, and when nuptial brilliancy was regarded as
a permanent factor, little wonder is it that synonymy
was created, and that the true relations of many of
the fishes actually seen were misconceived.

There yet remains a most important detail in Rafi-
nesque's work on the fishes of the Ohio which must
have explicit mention. During Rafinesque's cele-
brated visit to Audubon, at Henderson, it appears

ICHTHYOLOGIC WORK 33

that, while a guest of the great ornithologist, he was
victimized in a most cruel and reprehensible manner,
incidents occurring which, in after years, were said
to have been but a practical joke. Audubon's facile
pencil and vivid imagination conspired together to
produce drawings of fishes, said to dwell in the Ohio,
which were nothing if not wonderful. With a suave
manner and with an air of absolute truthfulness,
these drawings were shown to Rafinesque, and the
size and beauty of their living prototypes proclaimed.
With a hesitation that is painfully evident, in some
cases at least, Rafinesque yielded to his penchant for
framing new genera and describing new species, —
the bane of later gifted writers, by the way, — and
gave these grotesque forms a name and place in the
ichthyologic system. Time, valuable time, has been
lost in the vain attempt to find and properly place
these mythical forms. That the names thus bestowed
should be dropped goes without saying, but there
are those who, knowing the facts in these cases,
would yet insist upon relegating all the names pro-
posed by Rafinesque to the limbo of synonymy. It
would be better to drop these names without preju-
dice; following this, the strict rules of priority, as
enforced by the fair-minded man of science, will
eventually determine the place of the remainder.*

There have been two almost insuperable difiicul-
ties encountered in attempting to correlate Rafi-
nesque's species with those recognized at the present

*The fishes which Rafinesque thus described on the authority of
Audubon are the following: Perca nigropunctata, Aplocentrus
calltops, Pogostonia leucops, Catostomus anisopturus, Catostomus
ntger, Catostomus fasciolaris, Catostomus {!) megastomus, Pylo-
dictis Itmosus, Accipenser macrostomus, Dinectes truncatus.

34 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

time. The first of these has been mentioned in the
cases of the mythical species established " on the
authority of Mr. Audubon." The second consists in
the complete absence of authentic specimens. None
of the types exist. It has remained, therefore, for
the student to attempt to correlate the descriptions
of Rafinesque with those of later writers, some of
whom were in utter ignorance of his work, not to say
species, and whose later determinations and descrip-
tions are often based upon alcoholic materials.

The limits within which Rafinesque collected
fresh-water fishes in the Ohio valley have been indi-
cated above. It should be a comparatively easy
matter to collect in the streams which furnished the
pioneer ichthyologist his data; but, so far as the
writer is informed, a single student only, President
David Starr Jordan, has sought thus to correlate the
various descriptions, and thus to determine the synon-
ymy. It is also very evident that Rafinesque did not
regard variations in coloration and minor characters
as such, but magnified them into facts having specific
values, so far as species go. This treatment is con-
sonant with that which he has accorded to numerous
plants, and which is in line with his love for genus
and species making. In the presence of a rich fauna,
and in the absence of a distinctive literature, this
may be condoned, though one must always regret
that Rafinesque was not far more conservative.

But that is now a matter of minor consideration.
The important facts are, that fishes were collected
by Rafinesque and described by him for the first
time; moreover, they came from the Ohio and its
tributaries ; some of them are recorded as being rare,
others are declared to be abundant. What were

ICHTHYOLOGIC WORK 35

these fishes? That is the one question which, for
some species, yet awaits solution. A goodly number
have been finally fixed upon, though space here
forbids listing the Rafinesquian genera and species
together with their modern nomenclatural identities.
So far as this has yet been accomplished, the reader
may find the results in the published writings of Dr.
David Starr Jordan.*

The Ichthyolo^a Ohiensis is, therefore, the literary
foundation of American ichthyologic science. It
marks the very beginning of our knowledge of the
forms of the Ohio valley, — and, incidentally, of the
entire Mississippi system, throughout which some of
the forms that it first characterized are now known
to range. A knowledge of the contents of this book
must ever be indispensable to any student who
attempts to work in this rich field. Bold almost
beyond conception in its innovations upon accepted
methods of nomenclature ; without the check of crit-
ical comparison of forms taken over a wide geographic
range; faulty as it certainly is in the perspicacity
and fullness of its technical descriptions; tattooed
here and there with mythical names, or rendered
almost puerile by the introduction of questionable
details secured at second-hand; disregarding the
sequential arrangement of its families and genera,
each of which appears to be considered as an inde-
pendent assemblage; yet, both from historic and

*The chief of these, up to the present time, is a "Review of
Rafinesque's Memoirs on North American Fishes," U. S. National
Museum, i?>n. Bulletin no. ix. See also Jordan and Gilbert,
" Synopsis of the Fishes of North America," U. S. National Mu-
sezitn, 1883, Bulletin no. xvi. ; Jordan and Evermann, "The Fishes
of North and Middle America," U. S. National Museum, 1896-98,
Bulletin no. 47, [Four volumes].

86 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

scientific considerations, a peculiarly important place
must be assigned to this remarkable book in descrip-
tive natural history. Its final value will be lasting,
if not great; its authority recognized rather than
contemned ; its pioneer nomenclature and inadequacy
allowed their full modicum of influence in tempering
our judgment of its importance in ichthyologic bibli-
ography. It is a book redolent of the sweetness of
Nature, rather than of the dust of libraries.

TEXT
Rafinesque's Ichthyologia Ohiensis

Text reprinted from The Western Review and Miscel-
laneous Magazine, vo\s. i.-iii. Supplement, Corrections,
and Index (not published in The Western Review and Mis-
cellaneous Magazine) reprinted from Ichthyologia Ohiensis,
Lexington, 1820.

The original magazine volume and pagination, is indicated
by inclosing within brackets the number of the volume and
page in roman type ; the pagination of the Ichthyologia is
indicated in a similar manner, in italic type.

OR

NATURAL HISTORY

OF

THE FISHES WWlBiTlKG THE
mVE.^ ORIO

AND ITS TRIBUTARY STREAMS,
Preceded by a physical description of the Ohio and its branches.

BYC. S. RAFINESQUE,

Professor of Botany and Natural History in Transylvania University, Au-
thor of the Analysis of Nature, Stc. &c. Member of the Literary and
Philosophical Society of New-York, the Historical Society of New-York,
the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, the Academy of Natural
Sciences of Philadelphia, the American Antiquarian Society, the Royal
Institute of Natural Sciences of Naples, the Italian Society of Arts and
Sciences, the Medical Societies of Lexington and Cincinnati, &c. 8cc

The art of seeing -well, or of noticing and distinguishing wtlh accuracy
the objects -u/hich we perceive, is a high faculty of the mind, unfolded in few
individuals, and despised by those -who can neither acquire ity nor appreciate
itt results.

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BT W. O. HUNT. (PBICE ODE BOLLAR.^

18S0.

REPRIN7 OF ORIGINAL TEX7 41

These Pages

and the Discoveries which they contain

in one of the principal Branches

of Natural History,

are respectfully Inscribed

by the Author;

To his fellow-labourers in the same field of Science :

Prof. Samuel L. Mitchill, M.D.
who has described the Atlantic Fishes of New York,

and to

C. A. Le Sueur,

who was the first to explore the Ichthyology of the

Great American Lakes, etc.

In Token

of Friendship, Respect, and Congratulation.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 43

[I- 305] [5] NATURAL HISTORY OF THE FISHES
OF THE OHIO RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARY
STREAMS, BY C. S. RAFINESQUE, PRO-
FESSOR OF BOTANY AND NATU-
RAL HISTORY IN TRANSYL-
VANIA UNIVERSITY

Introduction

Nobody had ever paid any correct attention to the
fishes of this beautiful river, nor indeed of the whole
immense basin, which empties its water into the
Mississippi, and hardly twelve species of them had
ever been properly named and described, when in
18 18 and 1 8 19, I undertook the labour of collecting,
observing, describing, and delineating those of the
Ohio. I succeeded the first year in ascertaining
nearly eighty species among them, and this year I
added about twenty more, making altogether about
one hundred species of fish, whereof nine tenths are
new and undescribed.

Many of them have compelled me to establish new
genera, since they could not properly be united with
any former genus ; and I could have increased their
number, had I been inclined, as will be seen in the
course of this ichthyology ; but I have in many in-
stances proposed sub-genera and sections instead of
new genera. I sent last spring to Mr. Blainville of
Paris, a short account of some of them, to be pub-
lished in his Journal of Natural History, in a Tract

44 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

named Prodromus of seventy new genera of A nimals and
fifty new genera of Plants from North America, and I
now propose to publish a complete account of all the
species I have discovered. I am confident that they
do not include the whole number existing in the
Ohio, much less in the Mississippi; but as they will
offer a great [I. 306] [(5] proportion of them, and, as
the additional species may be gradually described in
supplements, I venture to introduce them to the
acquaintance of the American and European natural-
ists; being confident that they will not be deemed
an inconsiderable addition to our actual knowledge
of the finny tribes. To the inhabitants of the west-
ern states, to those who feed daily upon them, their
correct and scientific account ought to be peculiarly
agreeable. I trust they will value the exertions
through which I have been able to accomplish so
much in so short a period of time, and I wish I could
induce them to lend me their aid, in the succession
of my studies of those animals, by communicating
new facts, details, and rare species. I may assure
them that their kind help shall be gratefully received
and acknowledged.

The science of Ichthyology has lately received
great additions in the United States. A few of the
atlantic fishes had been formerly enumerated by
Catesby, Kalm, Forster, Garden, Linnaeus Schoepf,
Castiglione, Bloch, Bosc, and Lacepede ; but Dr.
Samuel L. Mitchell has increased our knowledge,
with about one hundred new species at once, in his
two memoirs on the Fishes of New- York, the first
published in 18 14, in the Transactions of the Liter-
ary and Philosophical Society of New-York, and the
second in the American Monthly Magazine in 1817.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 45

Mr. Lesueur was the first naturalist who visited Lake
Erie and Lake Ontario, where he detected a great
number of new species, which he has already begun
to publish in the Journal of the Academy of Sciences
of Philadelphia, and which he means to introduce in
his General History of American Fishes, a work on
the plan of Wilson's Ornithology, which he has long
had in contemplation. And I have added thereto
about forty new species, which I discovered in Lake
Champlain, Lake George, the Chesapeake, the Hud-
son, near New- York, Philadelphia, the Atlantic, &c.
and published in my Precis des Decouvertes, my Mem-
oirs on Sturgeons, my decads and tracts in the
American Monthl}^ Magazine, the American Journal
of Science, &c. besides three new fishes of the Ohio,
published in the Journal of the Academy of Phila-
delphia.

Many other fishes of the United States have been
partially [I. 307] [7] described by Bartram, Carver,
Lewis and Clarke and other travellers. It is reason-
able to suppose that several others have escaped their
notice, and my discoveries in the Ohio prove this
assertion. I calculate that we know at present about
five hundred species of North American fishes, while
ten years ago we hardly knew one hundred and
twenty. Among that number about one half are fresh
water fishes, and one fourth at least belong to the
waters of the western states ; but, although there are
fifty other species imperfectly known, I should not
wander far from reality if I should conjecture that,
after all, we merely know one third of the real num-
bers, when we consider that the whole of the Mexi-
can Provinces is a blank in Ichthyology, as well as
California, the North West Coast, the Northern

46 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Lakes, and all the immense bason of the Missouri
and Mississippi, except the eastern branch of the
Ohio: all those regions having never been explored
by any real naturalists. From those who are actu-
ally surveying the river Missouri much may be
expected; but I venture to foretell that many of the
fishes of the Ohio will be found common to the great-
est part of the streams communicating with it, and
therefore throughout the Mississippi and Missouri,
whence the ichthyology of the Ohio, will be a pretty
accurate specimen of the swimming tribes of all the
western waters; while in Mexico, the North West
Coast, and in the basin of the St. Lawrence or even
in the Floridian waters, a total difference of inhab-
itants may be detected : since I have already ascer-
tained that out of one hundred species of Ohio fishes,
there are hardly two similar to those of the atlantic
streams.

I have in contemplation to visit many other west-
ern streams and lakes, where I have no doubt to reap
many plentiful harvests of other new animals; mean-
time communications on the fishes of every western
stream are solicited from those, who may be able and
willing to furnish them.

It is probable that some of the fishes of the Missis-
sippi are anadromic or come annually from the gulf
of Mexico to spawn in that stream and its lower
branches ; but all the fishes of the Ohio remain per-
manently in it, or at utmost travel down the Missis-
sippi during the winter, although the greatest
proportion dwell during that season in the deep
spots of the Ohio [I. 308] [c?] This is proved by
their early appearance at the same time in all the
parts of the river and even as high as Pittsburgh.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 47

This happens even with the Sturgeons and Herrings
of the Ohio, which are in other countries periodical
fishes, travelling annually from the sea to the rivers
in the spring, and from the rivers to the sea in the
fall.

Fishes are very abundant in the Ohio, and are
taken sometimes by thousands with the seines : some
of them are salted ; but not so many as in the great
lakes. In Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, &c. fish
always meets a good market, and sells often higher
than meat ; but at a distance from those towns you
may buy the best fish at the rate of one or two cents
the pound. It affords excellent food, and, if not
equal to the best sea fish, it comes very near it,
being much above the common river fish of Europe:
the most delicate fishes are the Salmon-perch, the
Bubbler, the Buffaloe-fish, the Sturgeons, the Cat-
fishes, &c. It is not unusual to meet such fishes of
the weight of thirty to one hundred pounds, and
some monstrous ones are occasionally caught, of
double that weight. The most usual manners of
catching fish in the Ohio are, with seines or harpoons
at night and in shallow water, with boats carrying a
light, or with the hooks and lines, and even with
baskets.

I am sorry to be compelled to delay the publication
of my figures of all the fishes now described : these
delineations shall appear at another period.

To facilitate the knowledge of the streams men-
tioned, I prefix a physical description of the Ohio
and its principal branches.

Lexington, Kentucky, x^-^th November, 1819.

48 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

River Ohio

Head. It is formed by the junction of the rivers
Alleghany and Monongahela, in Pennsylvania, at
Pittsburgh, near the 40^ degree of north latitude.
It is difficult to say which of them is the main branch
or stream, the Alleghany being the longest and in
the most direct course, while the Monongahela ap-
pears to be the largest at the junction, and to have
similar waters.

[I. 301 i.e., 309] [9] Direction. Although the
Ohio is exceedingly crooked in its course, its general
direction is south west and west south west: it as-
sumes every other direction ; but very seldom the
opposite one, N. E.

Mouth. It empties into the Mississippi, near the
37th degree of latitude, dividing the state of Ken-
tucky from that of Illinois, which lies north.

Connections. The Ohio is one of the principal
branches of the Mississippi, and properly its great
eastern branch. The two great western branches, the
Arkansas, which is about 1800 English miles long,
and the Red River, which measures about 1600 miles,
exceed it in length, but not in size, nor in the num-
ber of tributary streams ; nor in the extent of their
basins. The northern branch or upper Mississippi
is much inferior to it in all respects (it is only 775
miles long, and receives only seven large rivers,)
although it has been mistaken for the main branch.
The real main branch is the Missouri, which takes

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 49

the name of Mississippi after its junction with the
upper Mississippi. It flows 2700 English miles above
that junction, receiving thirty-three rivers above 100
miles long, and 1300 miles below, receiving twelve
such rivers, having a total course of 4000 miles and
forty five large branches. It is yet undecided whether
the Yellow Stone or the Western Missouri is the
principal upper branch.

Length. From Pittsburgh to the mouth, it is 500
geographic miles in a direct course (60 to a degree)
and 960 in the regular course, equal to 1120 English
miles, (of 69^ to a degree ;) but if the Monongahela
be deemed the main upper branch, the whole course
will be 1360 English miles, while if the Allegany
be considered as such, the whole length of the Ohio
will be found equal to 1405 such miles.

Adjacencies. It flows through Pennsylvania as
far as Mill creek below Georgetown ; it divides after-
wards the state of Ohio, which lie[s] on the right bank
from Virginia; this state extends on the left bank
as far as Sandy river, where Kentucky begins, and
it occupies the remainder of the left bank, as far as
the Mississippi. While the state of Ohio terminates
on the north side at the Miami river: the state of
Indiana follows as far as [I. 310] [/o] the Wabash
river, and from thence the state of Illinois extends to
the mouth.

Parts. The Ohio is naturally divided into three
parts, containing each two sections, the head branches
Alleghany and Monongahela form the two sections
of the first part. The second or upper part lies
between their junctions and the falls, being divided
into two sections by Letart's rapids; while the third
or lower part includes the space below the falls, the

50 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

first section of which terminates at the end of the
narrow valley above Troy in Indiana, and the second
which includes the broad and flat valleys reaches to
the inouth. The upper part of the river is the long-
est, being about seven hundred miles long.

Breadth. At Pittsburgh the Ohio is about one
quarter of a mile wide, above the falls and near the
mouth it is over one mile : its average breadth may
be reckoned at half a mile or rather two thousand
five hundred feet.

Depth. Very variable according to places and
times. The mean depth at low water may be reck-
oned at three feet, and at high water at about thirty
feet. Average medium fifteen feet.

Velocity. The current of the Ohio is generally
gentle, except at the falls and ripples. Its average
at low water may be stated at two miles an hour and
at high water at four miles an hour.

Bulk. The quantity of waters flowing in the Ohio
may be therefore calculated, upon a general medium
of the above breadth, depth, and velocity, at about
forty millions of cubic feet, during an hour at low
water, and at more than eight hundred millions of
such feet at high water. Average medium three
hundred and eighty millions in an hour, nine thou-
sand one hundred and twenty millions in a day, and
more than three millions of millions of feet in one
year.

Waters. They are slightly turbid, and become
much more so in the rises. At a low stage they are
almost clear, and at all times very salubrious. The
Monongahela has the same character, while the Alle-
ghany is almost perfectly clear. The turbidity of
the waters is produced by very fine particles of earthy

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 51

matter dissolved in it, and which are not easily
deposited, unless at high water, when mud and
earth become mixed with them.

[I. 311] [//] Valley, The Ohio flows in a narrow
valley as far as Utica, above Louisville. This valley
averages about one mile in breadth, and about three
hundred feet in depth, but in some parts it is nearly
five hundred feet deep. There are evident proofs
that the river has formerly filled it. The sides are
formed by steep cliffs and hills of sandstone as far
as Vanceburg and the knobs below the mouth of the
Scioto; beyond which all the strata are of limestone.
Beyond those cliffs the country is broken, but much
raised above the bottom of the Ohio Valley. The
river meanders through it, leaving on each side, or
only on one side, a level tract of alluvial and deep
soil, which are called bottoms and were once the bed
of the river. The cliffs correspond together, keep-
ing at an equal distance, and every salient angle or
elbow has an opposite bend. Below Utica and as
far as Otter creek below Salt river begins the site of
an ancient Lake, forming now a plain, which is about
twenty-five miles long and ten miles broad ; the falls
are situated in the middle of it : the silver hills bound
it to the west, the knobby hills to the east and the
barren hills to the south. Immediately below it are
the narrows of Otter creek, where the valley begins
again ; but is not larger than at Pittsburgh, being
hardly half a mile wide and the river is less than one
thousand feet across. They both expand gradually
until they reach the rocky narrows above Troy, where
the valley, after being contracted to three fourths of
a mile, while the river is nearly half a mile broad,
expands at once into a low country or broad valley,

52 ICHTHYOLOGIA OH I ENS IS

(the river being often one mile wide) which, was for-
merly a second lake, extending about one hundred
miles to Cave-hill narrows, with a variable breadth
of four to twenty miles ; only a few bluffs appearing
occasionally on the banks, and the boundary hills
being only one hundred and fifty feet high on an
average. At Cave-hill or Cave in the rock, the river,
from a mile broad, becomes at once very narrow,
and the hills come very near the banks on both sides,
forming a short narrows, below which stands another
plain, which was once a third Lake, about twelve
miles long and six miles wide : it ends at Grand
Pierre creek, and the broad narrows between the
north and south bluffs. Here begins the lowest
part of the Ohio Valley, which grows wide gradually
[I. 312] [/.?] and extends as far as the Mississippi,
being from six to twenty miles wide and bounded by
hills one hundred feet high on an average, and with
very few stones.

Basin. The basin of a river, must not be mis-
taken for its valley, since it includes the whole
regions watered by the streams flowing into it. The
basin of Ohio is very extensive, including the greater
share of the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio,
and Indiana, with parts of Pennsylvania, New-York,
Virginia, Alabama and Illinois, and a small corner
of North Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi, watering
therefore twelve states of the Union. It occupies
eight degrees of latitude from the thirty-fourth to the
forty-second degrees, and about twenty-six degrees
of longitude. Its whole surface includes at least
half a million of square miles, and three hundred
and twenty millions of square acres.

Islands. The Ohio has a great many, about one

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 53

hundred and thirty; they are commonly long and
narrow. Some sand-bars, lying in the middle of the
river, are gradually becoming islands ; most of them
are overflowed at the high waters. There are very
few ancient islands, forming now insulated hills ; I
have detected however half a dozen, the first of
which lies just below Pittsburgh on the right bank.

Bars. They are very common, are generally sand
bars, and lie on one side or round the islands, very
few stretch across the river: they produce ripples or
a broken current. Some of them have hardly six
inches of water, at the low stage of the river.

Channels. The ctirrent of the Ohio is digging
another bed, deeper than the actual one, which forms
the real channel of navigation. It does not experi-
ence many changes; sometimes it happens to be
very crooked, particularly near islands and bars. It
generally follows and grazes the highest cliffs or
banks, and sometimes becomes double round some
islands.

Banks. The actual banks are all alluvial and of
a deep and rich soil, seldom quite sandy or muddy.
There are in many bottoms a second and even a third
bank, all very steep and from ten to forty feet high.
The first bank is almost every where overflowed at
high waters, the second never. The platforms be-
hind the banks are sometimes lower than the edge
of the [I. 313] [/j] bank. Many banks sink or are
washed away in inundations, when the channel sets
against them.

Rapids. Many ripples become rapids at low water,
and all the rapids disappear at high water, even
those called the falls, which lay below Louisville.
They are several passages of the river between rocky

54 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

islands, the waters flowing with great rapidity ; but
hardly ever pitching over, except on the Kentucky
side of the falls, where at very low water, there is a
small fall of less than two feet. Their noise is heard
at a great distance. A Canal will soon be cut on each
side of them. Letart's rapids and the Hurricane
rapids are the most dangerous after the falls, yet
they are merely large rock ripples.

[I. 361] Bayous. They are narrow channels into
which the waters flow at a certain stage of rise, form-
ing temporary islands; they are not uncommon in
the lower vallies, and are sometimes called cut offs;
the longest lies below Evansville, forming occasion-
ally a very large island opposite Hendersonville.

Inundations. The Ohio is subject to periodical
rises and to many adventitious ones. The highest
happens in the spring, when the snow melts in the
Alleghany mountains, and it has sometimes risen to
fifty feet above the low water at some particular
places, covering all the islands and bottoms of the
first banks, and overflowing the towns built on those
bottoms, such as Marietta, Shipping-port, Lawrence-
burgh, Shawneetown, &c. to the depth of ten feet or
more. Another happens in the fall after the first
rains; both subside pretty soon. Many others occur
throughout the year, occasioned by rains. They are
either general or partial, sudden or gradual; but dur-
ing the months of July, August, and September the
waters are very low, while in January and February,
they are covered with floating ice and even frozen
over in the northern and upper part. The overflow-
ings do not rise so high in the lower valleys ; but
they expand more over the bottoms, often leaving
behind pools and marshes.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 55

Phenomena. Eddies and whirlpools are common,
particularly at high waters; but not dangerous. A
natural echo is heard throughout the narrow valley.
Fogs are common dur- [I. 362] [/./] ingthe winter and
spring in the valley, they pollect in the morning and
last until the sun dissipates them : they preserve the
valley from the chilling frosts, and render its climate
milder than that of the adjacent country. The
prevailing winds are westerly, and four times out
of five a breeze blows up the stream, following the
meanders of the valley : it is a deviated branch of the
Mexican trade wind. Thunder storms are frequent
in summer, and hurricanes have sometimes happened.
Waves then rise high against the current and are
dangerous. Intermittent fevers are not uncommon in
the fall near some low banks and in the low bottoms ;
but the climate is otherwise very healthy. Many
springs are found along the banks and cliffs and
many more appear at low water.

Scenery. All the banks, and cliffs, and nearly all
the islands are covered with trees, among which the
Plat amis occidentalis (Sycamore,) the Populus angulata,
(Cotton tree,) and the Salix nigra (Willow) are the
most common and conspicuous. The cliffs and islands
offer every where very fine views and prospects, and
the cultivation increases those natural beauties ; this
is very conspicuous near Cincinnati, Maysville, Pitts-
burgh, &c.

Navigation. The River is navigated by Steam
boats. Barges, Keel boats, Schooner barges. Rowing
boats. Flat boats or Arks, Skiffs, Pirogues, Rafts,
&c. of which many thousand annually descend the
stream. Those which ascend it again amount annu-
ally to many hundred, among which there are already

56 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

more than sixty Steam boats, averaging the burthen
of 150 tons each. The ascent is effected, besides
steam, by sailing, poling, warping, and rowing, and
is very tedious. The difficulties of the navigation
consist in bars, sunken rocks, rocky ledges, snags
or sunken logs, sawyers or moving snags, drifted
logs, planters or upright, trees, falling trees, sinking
banks, sudden storms, rises and falls, drifting ice,
rejecting currents, whirlpools, shallow water, ripples
and rapids, &c. : but they are not dangerous except
at some particular stages of the waters. In the
spring rise the water is so deep that it may easily
float vessels of 500 tons, even over the falls. Many
large ships were built at Pittsburgh and Marietta,
which safely reached the sea; [I. 363] [/j] but since
the introduction of Steam boats, Ships have been
disused.

Towns. There are already more than 125 towns
and villages built on the Ohio. The city of Pitts-
burgh, at the head of it, contains nearly 15000 inhab-
itants. Cincinnati, in Ohio, contains above 10,000.
The other principal towns are: Louisville, in Ken-
tucky, at the falls, about 5000: Steubenville, in Ohio
about 3000: Maysville or Limestone, in Kentucky,
about 2000: besides, Beavertown, in Pennsylvania:
Wheeling, in Virginia: Marietta, in Ohio, at the
mouth of the Muskingum : Gallipolis in Ohio : Ports-
mouth, Ohio, at the mouth of the Scioto: Augusta,
in Kentucky: Newport, K. at the mouth of Licking
River: Owensborough, K. Hendersonville, K. Vevay,
in Indiana: Lawrenceburg, Ind. at the mouth of the
great Miami: Madison, Indiana: Jeffersonville and
New-Albany, Indiana, both at the falls: Evansville,
Indiana: Shawneetown, in Illinois, &c.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 57

Branches. The Ohio receives immediately about
400 streams, of which 20 are rivers above 100 miles
long, 54 are small rivers or large creeks, and more
than 300 are brooks and runs. Its largest branches
empty into the lower parts of the River, such as the
Tennessee, Cumberland, and Wabash. They all
flow in valleys similar to that of the Ohio and pro-
portioned to their size. Many of them, such as the
Scioto, Miami, Tennessee, Wabash, &c. have plains,
which indicate former lakes. Most of them have
rapids, ripples, bars, islands, &c. and offer the same
phenomena as the Ohio, particularly the periodical
rises and falls. I shall give some account of the 20
principal streams, which fall into the Ohio, in the
order in which they join it.

PRINCIPAL BRANCHES OF THE OHIO.

1. Alleghany. It rises in Lycoming county,
Pennsylvania, near the 42 d degree of latitude, on the
northern parts of the Alleghany mountains, and, after
flowing through a small part of the state of New-
York, it returns into Pennsylvania, until it joins the
Monongahela at Pittsburgh and forms the Ohio. Gen-
eral direction S. W. Length in a direct course 170
geographic miles, in the natural course 250, equal to
285 English miles. It has five great branches, the
Conemaugh, Conewa- [I. 364] [/<5] go, Tobas, &c. It
is navigable throughout, and its stream is gentle and
clear.

2. Monongahela. Rises in the Alleghany moun-
tains of Virginia, near latitude 38. Direct course
N. and 150 miles, in the natural course 210 miles, or
245 English miles. It has three great branches, of
which the Yohogheny is the principal. Its breadth

68 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

at Pittsburgh is 1350 feet, being wider and deeper
than the Alleghany, It flows in a deep valley, is
subject to sudden rises, and has a turbid but navi-
gable stream.

3. Mahoning or Big Beaver. Rises near Lake
Erie, in latitude 42, and runs south through Pennsyl-
vania, emptying on the right side of the Ohio, of
which it is one of the smallest branches, and is
even sometimes called a Creek, although its direct
course is 80 miles long, and the natural nearly 140,
or about 163 English miles, being very crooked;
but it is shallow, full of falls, and hardly navigable.
It is formed by the junction of the Shenango and
Neshanock.

4. Muskingum. It flows through the state of
Ohio, in a southerly direction, about 100 miles, but
being very winding its natural course is 150 miles or
about 175 English miles. It rises in a small lake of
the Ohio ridge, which separates the bason of the
Ohio from that of Lake Erie, near the 41st degree of
latitude, and it joins the Ohio at Marietta. It is a
large and navigable river, although it has a large
rapid or fall at Zanesville and some other smaller
rapids elsewhere. At the mouth it is 750 feet wide.
It flows through a large valley, and receives four or
five large branches, called Wills, Licking, Mohecan,
&c.

5. Little Kenhaway. It rises in the Laurel
hills, and flows through Virginia in a N. W. course
of 90 miles, or 140 in a natural course, equal to about
163 English miles. It empties at Parkenburg, is
partly navigable and has several small branches.

6. HocKHOCKiNG. Flows through Ohio. Direc-
tion, S. E. length seventy five miles, by the real course

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 59

one hundred and twenty five, or about one hundred
and forty English miles. It is a deep but narrow
stream, navigable however as far as the two cascades.
It had lakes formerly.

7. Great Kenhaway, Rises in the Alleghany
Mountains, [I. 365] [77] near latitude 36, in North
Carolina, and flows through Virginia. Course north-
erly, one hundred and seventy five miles, real course
very crooked, about two hundred and seventy miles
or three hundred and fifteen English miles. It joins
the Ohio at Point Pleasant. It is a fine, navigable
and broad river, with many branches.

8. Big Guyandot. It rises in the Cumberland
Mountains, and runs N. through Virginia, emptying
itself at Guyandot. It is navigable sixt}^ miles;
length seventy miles, real course one hundred miles,
or about one hundred and twenty English miles.

9. Sandy River. Rises also in the Cumberland
Mountains near the 37th degree of latitude, and sepa-
rates Virginia from Kentucky. It is a large but shal-
low river, with three branches. Common course
north, ninety miles in length, natural course one
hundred and twenty five miles, or one hundred and
forty six English miles. It is also called Tottery
river and Big Sandy.

10. Scioto. It flows through the state of Ohio,
rising in a morass of the Ohio ridge or table land,
near latitude 40 1-2. It empties near Portsmouth
after a southerly course of one hundred and ten miles,
real course about one hundred and ninety miles or
two hundred and twelve English miles. It is navi-
gable one hundred and thirty miles, and is four hun-
dred and fifty feet broad at the mouth. It has many
bars and snags, but no falls. Its four principal

60 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

branches are Whetstone river, Paint, Darby, and
Walnut creeks. It had lakes formerly.

11. Little Miami. Runs through Ohio in a S.
S. W. direction of sixty miles, natural course one
hundred miles or one hundred and fifteen English
miles. It is not navigable. It joins the Ohio near
Columbia and has several small branches. Near its
head, it runs for a mile through a narrow chasm,
with successive falls of two hundred feet.

12. Licking River. It flows through Kentucky
in a N. W. course of one hundred and sixty miles,
rising in the Cumberland Mountains, near latitude
37. It has two great branches, is hardly navigable,
and winds very much. It empties between Newport
and Covington, opposite Cincinnati. Real course
about three hundred miles or nearly three hundred
and fifty English miles.

[I. 366] [z^*] 13. Great Miami. It rises in the
Ohio ridge, near latitude 40 1-2 and flows through
Ohio in a S. S W. direction, dividing that state from
Indiana at its mouth, near Lawrenceburgh. Com-
mon course one hundred and ten miles, real course
one hundred and eighty, or about two hundred and
ten English miles. Its current is very rapid, and
diflicult to ascend. It has four principal branches,
such as Mad river, Whitewater, &c. The mouth is
six hundred feet wide, and its valley is very large.
It was for[m]erly called Rocky river.

14. Kentucky. This fine river gives its name
to the state throughout which it flows, in a N W.
direction. It rises in the Cumberland Mountains,
near the 37th degree of latitude, a high spot from
which the Tennessee, Cumberland, Licking, &c. flow
westward. Common course 180 miles, real course

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 61

340 and very winding, or about 400 english miles.
It has 5 principal branches, Dick river, Black river,
&c. It overflows in the spring and is then navigable
even for Steam-Boats, &c. It has many rapids, but
no real fall. Its valley is deep and often narrow; in
the narrows, the limestone cliffs are 300 feet high,
and very near each other, without any bottoms. It
had formerly a few small lakes and hilly islands. It
empties at Port William. Former name Cuttawa.

15. Salt River. Flows in Kentucky, rises in
the knobby hills, course N. W. 80 miles long, nat-
ural course winding about 140 miles, or 160 english
miles. It is partly navigable and has many branches.
It empties at Adamsville.

16. Green River. It rises in Kentucky, in the
knobby hills, which are spurs of the Cumberland
Mountains, and flows West and N. W. into that state.
Direct course 175 miles, usual course about 350 or
more than 400 english miles. It has four large
branches, such as Barren river. Rough and Panther
creeks, &c. It has a gentle current and is navigable.
Its valley is very wide in the lower part, and when
it joins the Ohio, above Evansville, its stream is
almost as large as the Ohio. It was formerly called
Buffaloe river.

17. Wabash. It rises in Indiana, on the ridge
dividing the basons of the Ohio and the Lakes, near
latitude 41)^, and below it forms the limits between
Indiana and Illinois. Direction S. [I. 367] [/p] S.
W. Length 250 miles, real course 450 miles or
nearly 525 English miles. It is a large and deep
stream, navigable even in summer, as far as the falls.
Its lower valley is wide and shallow, with many
islands and bayous. It has five large branches, such

62 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

as Little Wabash, White river, &c. This last is
very considerable and extends its numerous and large
branches throughout Indiana; the longest is 350 miles
long, one of them runs parallel with the Ohio. It
empties above Shawneetown.

18. Saline River. It flows through Illinois in
a S. E. direction, emptying below Shawneetown.
Length 55 miles, real course about 90, or 105 Eng-
lish miles ; it is therefore the smallest of the rivers
emptying into the Ohio, although Big Blue river,
Tradewater river. Little Muskingum, and Little Sci-
oto, are still smaller and rather large creeks; their
course being less than 100 miles, I have not noticed
them. The Saline river is partly navigable and has
three principal branches.

19. Cumberland. It rises in the Cumberland
Mountains of Kentucky, and after watering Tennes-
see, returns into Kentucky, its course being W. and
N. W. about 300 miles; real course about 500 miles or
about 585 English miles. It is a fine navigable
river, flowing in a broad valley, and with many small
branches, but no large ones. It has also been called
the Shawanee.

20. Tennessee. The last and largest of the
branches of the Ohio. It is formed by the union of
the Holstein and Clinch rivers in Tennessee, the
former rising in Virginia near lat. ij , and the second
in North Carolina, within the Alleghany Mountains
near lat. 35. The whole course, if the Clinch river
is deemed the main branch, will be three hundred
and fifty miles, and the real course six hundred and
fifty, equal to about seven hundred and sixty english
miles. Duck river is another large branch of it, and
there are three others besides. The direction is S.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 63

W. then west and next north, watering Tennessee,
Alabama, Kentucky, &c. and emptying into the Ohio
a few miles below the Cumberland, from which basin
it is divided by a high ridge, and not far above the
mouth of the Ohio. The Tennessee is a very large
and fine navigable river, almost equal to the Ohio in
size, but not in depth. Its valley is wide and has
had many lakes, one of them was at the Muscle
Shoals, which forms now a [I. 368] [20] small lake,
full of rocky islands and rapids, and are a great
impediment to navigation. It was formerly called
the Cherokee river.

SMALLER BRANCHES.

The fifty four small rivers and large creeks, flow-
ing into the Ohio are the following, of which thirty
three empty on the right and twenty one on the left.
They are all over thirty miles long in their natural
course.

In Pennsylvanl\, 3. Right bank, Little Beaver;
and on the left bank Chartier's Creek, Raccoon
Creek.

In Ohio, 17. Big Yellow creek, Warren creek,
Indian Wheeling creek, Captina creek, Sunfish creek,
Opossum creek. Little Muskingum river. Duck creek,
Shade river, Kaygers creek. Campaign creek, Raccoon
creek, Symmes' creek. Brush creek, Little Scioto
river. Eagle creek. White Oak creek.

In Virginia, 7. Short creek, Wheeling creek. Big
Grave creek, Fishing creek. Stony creek, Big Sandy
creek, Little Guyandot river.

In Kentucky, 12. Little Sandy river, Tygert
creek, Kinniconick, Gunpowder creek, Bigbone creek,
Harrod creek, Beargrass creek, Otter creek. Sinking

64 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

creek, Blackford creek, Highland creek, Tradewater
river.

In Indiana, 12. Tanner's creek, Houghan creek,
Loughery creek, Indian Kentucky, Silver creek. Buck
creek, Corydon creek. Big Blue river, Little Blue
river, Anderson river. Little Pigeon creek, Big
Pigeon creek.

In Illinois, 3. Lusk's creek, Bigbury creek. Cash
river.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 06

Fishes of the Ohio

FIRST PART. THORACIC FISHES.

Having complete gills, with a gill cover, and a
branchial membrane. Lower or ventral fins situated
on the breast or thorax, under the pectoral or lateral
fins.

I Genus. Perch. Perca. Perche.

Body elliptical, scaly; head without scales, mouth
large, jaws with unequal acute teeth, gill cover with
a serrate preopercule [I. 369] \2i\ and a spiny oper-
cule ; two dorsal fins, the first with spiny rays, the
second with soft rays. Vent posterior.

This genus was very badly defined by Linneus,
Shaw, Bloch, and Mitchell ; the above characters are
now precise and apply to all the species that ought
to remain in it, answering to the genus of Lacepede
and the subgenus of Cuvier, bearing the same name.
All the species belonging to it are voracious and prey
on smaller fishes. There are only few species in the
Ohio, which afford an excellent food.

ist Species. Salmon Perch. Perca Salmonea.
Perche Saumonee.

Jaws nearly equal, one spine on the opercule and
another at the base of the pectoral fins : body length-
ened, breadth one ninth of the length, brownish
above, with gilt shades, white beneath : first dorsal
fin with fourteen rays, second with twenty, tail

66 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

forked, all the fins spotted ; lateral line diagonal and
slightly curved.

A fine fish, from one to three feet long; it is one
of the best afforded by the Ohio, its flesh is esteemed
a delicacy, being white, tender, and well flavoured,
whence the name of Salmon was given to it, and its
shape which is nearly cylindrical and slightly com-
pressed, with the head and jaws somewhat similar to
those of the Salmons, has induced many to consider
it a real Salmon, although its fins and gill covers are
quite different. It has received the vulgar names of
Salmon, White Salmon, and Ohio Salmon. It is not a
common fish, but is occasionally caught all over the
Ohio and in the Kentucky, Licking, Wabash, and
Miami rivers during the spring and summer; it ap-
pears at Pittsburgh sometimes as early as February,
while it winters in deep waters. It feeds on Chubs,
Minnows, Suckers, &c. It is not often caught with
the hook, but easily taken with the gig and seine.
It has the back and sides gilt by patches, the head
variegated with small gilt spots above and quite
white beneath. The eyes are large, prominent and
brown, situated above the corners of the mouth and
surrounded with a gilt brown iris. The two dorsal
fins are widely apart, the first ray of the first dorsal
fin is short, the second dorsal fin is slightly falcate,
they are both yellow as well as the tail and with
brown spots, the other fins are pale yellowish with
only a few brown [I. 370] {_22\ dotts. The rays are,
in the anal 12, wherein the first is short and spiny,
thoracic 6, the first hardly spiny, pectoral 14, caudal
20. The whole fish is covered with very small scales,
and the lateral line begins above the opercule: the
second spine outside of the opercule is remarkable.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 67

2d Species. Golden-eyes Perch. Perca chrysops.
Perche oeuil-d'or.

Upper jaw longer, one spine on the opercule, body
oblong, breadth one fourth of total length, silvery
with five longitudinal brownish stripes on each side,
head brown above : lateral line diagonal and straight ;
first dorsal fin with eight rays, the second has 14,
whereof one is spiny, tail forked, roseate, tip brown;
base scaly.

Vulgar names Rock fish, Rock bass, Rock perch,
Gold eyes, Striped bass. &c. It is commonly mis-
taken for the Rock fish or Striped bass of the Atlantic
Ocean, the Perca Mitchelli of Dr. Mitchell, (Trans, of
the philos. Society of New York, vol. i. page 413,
tab. 3. fig. 4.) to which it is certainly greatly similar;
but it differs from it, by the single spine of the oper-
cule, the shape of the lateral line, the less number
of stripes, the scaly tail, &c. It is not very common
in the Ohio, and is hardly ever seen at Pittsburgh,
being more common in the lower parts of the river,
where it frequents the falls, ripples, and rocky shores.
Its usual size is about one foot. It is very good to
eat. It bites at the hook. The mouth is large with
very small teeth, the three pieces of the gill cover
are slightly crenulate, the middle one or preoper-
cule being however deeply serrate. The eyes are
large black with a large golden iris. The lateral
line begins at the corner of the opercule and does
not follow the curve of the back, the stripes are par-
allel with it and only two of them reach the tail.
The branchial membrane has six rays ; the spine of
the opercule is not terminal. The dorsal fins are
rufous and quite separate, the two first rays of the
first are shorter, the second is brown posteriorly and

68 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

diagonally, its base is scaly and such is also the base
of the anal fin, which has similar colours, and 15
rays, whereof three are spiny. Pectoral fins with 16
rays. Thoracic fins incarnate with six rays, whereof
one is spiny,

[I. 371] {^2f\ It will appear that this fish differs so
widely from the foregoing, as to be hardly reducible
to the same genus ; but its great similarity with the
Perca MitcJiclli has compelled me to retain it in this
genus, notwit[h]standing many peculiar characters.
I shall however venture to propose a new subgenus
or section in the g'enus Perca for this fish, to which
the P. MitcJielli, may perhaps be found to belong. It
may be called Lepibema and distinguished by the
scaly bases of the caudal, anal, and second dorsal
fins, this last with some spiny rays, and all the three
parts of the gill cover more or less serrulate, besides
the small teeth.

The Perca Salvionea may also form a peculiar sub-
genus, or section distinguished by the cylindrical
shape of the body, long head and jaws, large teeth,
and a second spine outside of the opercule over the
base of the pectoral fins. It may be called Stizoste-
dio7i, which means pungent throat. I could have
made peculiar genera of each of them, under the pro-
posed names; but as they otherwise agree with the
reduced genus Perca, I have preferred delaying this
innovation until more species are found possessing
the same distinctions, ia which case my two perches
may then be called Stizostedion salmoneiun, and Lepibe-
ma chrysops.

3d Species. Black dotted Perch. Perca nigro-
punctata. Perche a-points-noirs.

Upper jaw longer; body brown, covered all over

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 69

with black dotts, breadth one sixth of the length,
lateral line nearly straight the anal fins very long,
tail truncate. I have not seen this species, I describe
it from a drawing made by Mr. Audubon. I am
therefore doubtful, whether it is a real perch, par-
ticularly since the drawing does not show the ser-
ratures and spines of the gill cover. It might be a
Sciena, or a Dipterodon, 3^et the shape of the body and
the distant dorsal fins, induce me to rank it with the
G. Perca until better known ; when it may even turn
out to be a peculiar genus, which the flexuose oper-
cule, long anal fin and vent in the middle of the
body, seem to indicate, and should it be a real perch,
it must form a peculiar subgenus, which may be
called Pomacampsis in either case. The vulgar names
of this fish are Black Perch, Widow's Perch, Dotted
Bass, Black Bass, Batchelor's Perch, &c. It is found
only in the lower parts [I. 372] [^^] of the Ohio, from
the falls to the mouth, and it runs up the small creeks,
but is rare every where. Its length is from six to
twelve inches. The snout is rounded, the head slop-
ing and small, the preopercule rounded, the opercule
flexuose or nearly lobate ; the eyes are black and
beyond the mouth. The back is almost black, the
two dorsal fins are dotted like the body, the first has
about twelve spiny rays, and the second about eight
soft rays, this last is very near the tail. The anal
fin has about twenty rays and begins just below the
vent and the end of the first dorsal fin. Vent in the
middle of the body, almost nearer the head.

II Genus. Bubbler. Amblodon. Amblodon.

Body elliptical, compressed, scaly; head and gill
covers scaly, jaws with small fily teeth, throat with

70 ICHTHYOLOGIA OH I EN SIS

a triangular bone beneath, covered with large round
hollow and obtuse teeth. Gill cover with two pieces,
preopercule slightly denticulate at the base, oper-
cule without teeth nor spines : branchial membrane
with six rays. Two dorsal fins contig[u]ous, the first
spiny, the second partly so, scaly along the base.
Vent posterior.

This genus was called by me Aplodinotus G. 8. of
my Memoir on 70 New Genera of American animals,
in the journal of Natural History of Paris, having
been led into error, in supposing that the remarkable
teeth of its throat belonged to the Buffalo fish, as
will be seen below. The name means obtuse teeth.
It differs from the G. Sciena by the scaly head, oper-
cule and base of second dorsal fin, besides the singu-
lar teeth. Only one species is known as yet.

4th Species. Grunting Bubbler. Amblodon grun-
niejis. Amblodon grognant.

Synonymy. Sciena grjinniens Raf. Catal, fishes
of Ohio. Aplodinotus grunniefis. Raf. Mem. on 70
N. G. Animals, G. 8.

Entirely silvery, upper lip longer, lateral line
curved upwards at the base, bent in the middle, and
straight posteriorly, tail lunulate, first dorsal fin with
nine rays, the first very short, the second with 35
rays, the first spiny and short.

The vulgar names of this fish are White-perch,
White-pearch, Buff aloe-perch, grunting-perch, bub-
bling-fish, bubbler, and muscle-eater. It is one of
the largest and best found in the Ohio, reaching
sometimes to the length of three feet and the [I. 373]
\2s\ weight of thirty pounds, and affording a delicate
food. It is also one of the most common, being
found all over the Ohio, and even the Monongahela

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 71

and Alleghany, as also in the Mississippi, Tennessee,
Cumberland, Kentucky, Wabash, Miami, &c. and all
the large tributary streams : where it is permanent,
since it is found at all seasons except in winter. In
Pittsburgh it appears again in February. It feeds
on many species of fishes. Suckers, Catfishes, Sun-
fishes, &c. but principally on the muscles, or various
species of the bivalve genus Unio, so common in the
Ohio, whose thick shells it is enabled to crush by
means of its large throat teeth. The structure of
those teeth is very singular and peculiar, they are
placed like paving stones on the flat bone of the
lower throat, in great numbers and of different sizes;
the largest, which are as big as a man's nails, are
always in the centre ; they are inverted in faint
alveoles, but not at all connected with the bone;
their shape is circular and flattened, the inside
always hollow, with a round hole beneath : in the
young fishes they are rather convex above and evi-
dently radiated and mamillar ; while in the old fishes
they become smooth, truncate, and shining white.
These teeth and their bone are common in many
museums, where they are erroneously called teeth of
the Buffalo-fish or of a Cat-fish. I was deceived so
far by this mistake and by the repeated assertions of
several persons, as to ascribe those teeth to the
Buffalo-fish, which I have since found to be a real
Catostoniiis; this error I now correct with pleasure.

A remarkable peculiarity of this fish consists in
the strange grunting noise, which it produces, and
from which I have derived its specific name. It is
intermediate between the dumb grunt of a hog and
the single croaking noise of the bull frog : that grunt
is only repeated at intervals and not in quick succes-

72 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

sion. Every navigator of the Ohio is well acquainted
with it, as they often come under the boats to enjoy
their shade in summer and frequently make their
noise. Another peculiarity of this fish, is the habit
which it has of producing large bubbles in quick
succession, while digging through the mud or sand
of the river, in search of the Muscles or Unios.

It has a small head, sloping and compressed all
the way from [I. 374] \_26'\ the snout to the dorsal
fins and entirely scaly; thick, hard, and extensible
lips, and 2 nostrils on each side, the posterior larger
oblong & obliqual : the opercule is rounded with gilt
shades; those shades extend to the sides of the body,
while the back is slightly dark or brownish, and the
tipper part of the head olivaceous. The iris is gilt
brown and the fins are brownish, except the thoracic
and pectoral, which are reddish; these last have 18
rays, while the thoracic have seven^ whereof the first
is spiny and the second mucronate. Tail with twenty
rays. Anal fin narrow elongate, brown tinged with
reddish, and with nine rays, whereof the first is spiny,
very small and fiat, the second is also spiny, but very
thick, large and triangular, the third ray is the long-
est and the last is mucronate. The first dorsal fin is
triangular and broader than the second, which is very
long and rounded behind.

This fish is either taken in the seine or with the
hook and line ; it bites easily, and affords fine sport
to the fishermen. It spawns in the spring, and lays
a great quantity of eggs.

Ill Genus. Calliurus. Painted Tail. Calliure.

Body elongate^ compressed, scaly ; fore part of the
head without scales, neck and gill-covers scaly:

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 78

mouth large with strong teeth in both jaws, and
without lips. Gill cover double, preopercule divided
downwards into three curved and carinated sutures,
without serrature : opercule with an acute and mem-
branaceous appendage, before which stands a flat
spine. One dorsal fin, spiny anteriorly, depressed in
the middle. Anal fin with spiny rays, thoracic with
none, and only five soft rays. Vent nearly medial.

The generic name means fine tail. It differs prin-
cipally from the genus Holocentrus, by the head,
scaly gill cover and singular propercule: Genus 12 of
my 70 New Genera of American Animals.

5th Species. Dotted Painted tail. Calliurus
Punctiilatuse. Calliure pointille.

Lower jaw longer : body olivaceous crowded with
blackish dotts: head brownish, flattened above: lat-
eral line hardly curved upwards at the base : tail
unequally bilobed, lower lobe larger, base yellow,
middle blackish, tip white: dorsal fin yellow with 24
rays, of which 10 are spiny.

[I- 375] [^7] All uncommon fish from four to twelve
inches long. I observed it at the falls; rare in the
Ohio, more common in some small streams. Vulgar
names. Painted-tail or Bride-perch. Tail with two
lobes, slightly unequal, base flexuose. Belly and
lower fins pale, anal fin with 13 rays, the three ante-
rior spiny and shorter, behind rounded and far from
the tail, although nearer than the dorsal fin. Tho-
racic fin with five rays, none of which appear spiny,
and no appendage. Pectoral fins short, trapezoidal,
with 15 rays. Branchial rays concealed.

IV. Genus. Sunfish. Icthelis. Icthele.

Body elliptical or oval very compressed, scaly.
Mouth small, with small teeth and thin lips. Gill

74 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

cover double, scaly, without serrature or spines.
One dorsal fin, broader behind, with anterior spiny-
rays, as well as the anal and thoracic fins, these with-
out appendages. Vent hardly posterior. Lateral
line following the curve of the back.

Synon3TQy Lepoviis. Prod. 70 New Genera, 13
Genus.

An extensive genus, which contains perhaps 20
species, most of which were blended with the Labrus
aiiritus and Labrus virgi)iicus of Linneus. They differ
from the genus Labrus or rather Sparus, by the scaly
opercule and the thoracic fins without appendage. I
have already detected six species in the western
waters; but there are more. I divide them into two
subgenera. Meaning Sun-fish. All good to eat, and
easily taken with the hook; they feed on worms and
young fishes. They are permanent.

ist Subgenus. Telipomis.

Opercule without appendage ; but spotted — Mean-
ing spotted gills.

6th Species. Gilded Sunfish. LctJielis macrocJiira.
Icthele macrochire.

Body oval, oblong, gilt, crowded with small brown
dotts; head small, scaly, opercule flexuose, spot nar-
row marginal and black, jaws equal: tail forked:
pectoral fins long and narrow, reaching the anal fin,
which has 13 rays, whereof three are spiny.

A pretty species from three to four inches long.
In the Ohio, Green river, Wabash, &c. Names, Sun-
fish, Gold-fish, &c. Head rather acute, not scaly
before the eyes. Iris gilt brown. [I. 376] {28'] Dor-
sal fin with 22 long rays, whereof 1 1 are spiny, a
depression between the two sorts of rays. Anal fin

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT Ih

broad and rounded. Tail 20 rays. Thoracic one
and five. Pectoral 15. Diameter of the body nearly
one fourth of total length.

7th Species. Blue Sunfish. Icthelis cyanella.
Icthele bleuatre.

Body elliptic, elongate, diameter one fifth, oliva-
ceous gilt, crowded with irregular blue dotts ; brown-
ish above: head elongate, lower jaw longer, cheeks
with blue flexuose lines; spot oblong blackish, nearly
marginal: tail rounded, notched: anal fin very broad
with 12 rays, whereof three are short spiny: pectoral
fins very short.

A small species hardly three inches, called Blue-
fish or Sun-fish. I found it on the Ohio at the falls.
Appearing entirely blue at a distance. Head brown
above. Iris gilt. Opercule curved. Tail olive blue,
with 24 rays. Dorsal fin brownish with 20 rays,
whereof 10 are spiny, hardly any middle depression.
Pectoral small trapezoidal, 12 rays. Thoracic one
and five.

8th Species. Blackeye Sunfish. Icthelis mela-
nops Icthele seuil-noir.

Body oblong, diameter one fourth, olivaceous cov-
ered with blue dotts, neck brown above, head large,
mouth rather large, upper jaw longer; opercule with
blue curved and longitudinal lines beneath : spot
rounded black at its base : fins olivaceous, tail bilobed :
anal fin with three and nine rays : pectoral fins large
oboval ,

Length from two to six inches: common in the
tributary streams of the Ohio, the Kentucky, Licking,
Miami, &c. and even in small creeks. Vulgar names,
Blue-fish, Black-eyes, Sun-fish, Blue-bass, &c. It has
black eyes like all the other species ; but the iris is

76 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

black also, with a silvery hue or ring. Dorsal fin
with ten and ten rays, the spiny ones very short.
Caudal 20. Pectoral 16, Thoracic one and five, as
usual; but the spiny ray is very short, as are also
those of the anal fin.

2d Subgenus. Pomotis.

Opercule with a membranaceous appendage, often
like an auricule and spotted. Meaning eared gills.

[I- 377] [.29] 9tli Species. Redeye Sunfish. Icthe-
lis Enythrops. Itchele oeuil rouge.

Body oval elliptic, (diameter one third,) blackish
above, olivaceous on the sides, whitish beneath : head
small, lower jaw longer, propercule flexuose, oper-
cule with a short, angular and acute appendage, a
faint and small brown spot above it: tail bilobed,
ciliate, base black, middle olivaceous, tip whitish, up-
per lobe rather larger : anal fin with six and ten rays :
pectorals trapezoidal large, not reaching the vent.

[II. 49] loth Species. Eared Sunfish. Icthelis
aurita. Icthele oreillee.

Body oval elliptic (diameter one third) olivaceous
with blue and rufous dots: head small, jaws equal,
opercule flexuose, appendage black, broad and trun-
cate, some blue flexuose lines on the sides of the
head: tail brownish lunulate; back brownish: anal
fin 3 and 9 : pectorals not reaching the vent. Tho-
racic mucronate.

Length from 3 to 12 inches: common in the rivers,
creeks, and ponds of Kentucky. Vulgar name Sun-
fish. Iris brown. Dorsal fin brownisii, 10 and 10,
spiny rays shorter. Thoracic fins very long, spiny ray
rather shorter, first soft ray mucronate. Pectorals
nearly rhomboidal, with 14 rays. Tail 16 rays.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 77

nth Species. Big-ear SUNFISII. Icthelismegalotis.
Icthele megalote.

Body oval rounded, (diameter two fifths,) ches[t]nut
colour with blue dots, belly red: head large, lower
jaw longer, opercule with blue fiexuose lines, appen-
dage black, very large elliptic, end rounded : tail black,
slightly forked: pectoral large reaching the vent:
anal fin 3 and 9: thoracics long and mucronate.
Black tail.

A fine species, called Red-belly, Black-ears, Black-
tail Sun-fish, &c. It lives in the Kentucky, Licking,
and Sandy rivers, &c. Length from 4 to 8 inches.
Head very sloping. Iris sil- [II. 50] [jo] very brown.
Belly of a bright copper red colour. All the fins
black except the pectorals which are olivaceous,
trapezoidal acute and large. The dorsal has 20 rays,
whereof 9 short ones are spiny. Body very short,
hardly as long as broad, if the head and tail are
deducted. Thoracics like those of the foregoing
species.

V Genus. River Bass. Lepomis. Lepome.

This genus differs from Holocentrits by having the
opercule scaly, from Calliuriis by the opercule only
being such, while the preopercule is simple and
united above with a square suture over the head,
besides the thoracic fins with 6 rays. Perhaps the
Calliurus ought only to be a subgenus of this. From
the G. Icthelis it differs by the large mouth and spines
on the opercule.

The name means scaly gills. The species are
numerous throughout the United States. They are
permanent ; but ramblers in the Ohio and tributary
streams. They are fishes of prey, and easily caught

78 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

with the hook. I shall divide them into two sub-
genera. I had wrongly blended this genus and the
Icthelis under the name Lepomis 13. G. of my Prodr.
N. G.

I St Subgenus. Aplites.

Only one flat spine on the opercule, decurrent in a
small medial opercule : first ray of the thoracic fins
soft or hardly spiny. Meaning, single weapon.

i2th Species. Pale River-bass. Lepomis pallida.
Lepome pale.

Olivaceous above, white beneath, a brown spot at
the base of the lateral line, an obtuse appendage on
the opercule, spine behind it : 3 faint obliqual streaks
on the gill covers ; lower jaw longer : tail forked,
pale yellow, tip brown.

Not uncommon in the Ohio, Miami, Hockhocking,
&c. Vulgar naine Yellow Bass, common Bass, &c.
Length from 4 to 12 inches. Shape elliptic, diameter
one fourth of the total length. Fins olivaceous,
without streaks, dorsal depressed or interrupted
in the middle, 9 spiny rays to the fore part, the
medial longer, i spiny ray and 14 soft rays to the
hind part. Anal fin rounded 13 rays, whereof 2 are
spiny and short. Pectorals rounded with 14 rays.
Tail with 18. Thoracics with 6. Eyes [II. 51] [j/]
large, black, iris brown with a gold ring. Lateral
line following the back, straight near the tail.

13th Species. Streaked-cheeks River-Bass.
Lepojnis trifasciata. Lepome trifasciee.

WhitivSh, crowded with unequal and irregular
specks, of a gilt olive colour, none on the belly: gill
covers with 3 large oblique streaks of the same
colour : opercule without appendage, spine acute, a

REFRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 79

faint brown spot below the lateral line : lower jaw
longer: dorsal fin streaked behind: tail forked, yel-
low at the base, brown in the middle, tip pale.

Found in the Ohio and many other streams, reaches
over a foot in length sometimes : vulgar names Yellow
bass, Gold bass, Yellow perch. Streaked-head, &c.
Fins olivaceous: dorsal hardly depressed in the mid-
dle with 24 rays, whereof 10 are spiny, hind part
with 3 brownish and longitudinal streaks. Anal fin
rounded with 13 rays, 3 of which are spiny, 2 short
and a long one. Pectoral fins nearly triangular and
acute, 16 rays. Thoracics 6. Tail 2, very broad,
forks divaricate nearly lunulate. Eyes small black,
iris brown. Lateral line following the back. Diame-
ter less than one fourth of the length.

14th Species. Brown River-bass. Lepomis flexu-
olaris. Lepome flexueux.

Olivaceous brown above, sides with some trans-
versal and flexuose olive lines, belly white : lateral
line nearly straight flexuose: spine broad acute,
behind the base of the opercule, no appendage nor
spot, preopercule forked downwards: upper jaw
slightly longer: tail bilobed, base olive, middle
brown, tip white.

A fine species, reaching the length of two feet, and
affording an excellent food. Common all over the
Ohio and tributary streams. Vulgar names. Black
Bass, Brown Bass, Black Pearch ; &c. Fins oliva-
ceous, dorsal with 23 rays, whereof 9 are spiny and
rather shorter: anal with 12 rays, whereof 2 are
spiny: pectorals trapezoidal, 16 rays. Branchial rays
uncovered. Iris brown. This fish might perhaps
form another subgenus, by the large mouth, head
without upper sutures, spine hardh^ decurrent, nearly

80 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

equal jaws, gill covers, lateral line, «&c. Its tail
and preopercule are somewhat like Calliurns. It
might be called Ncniocavipsis, meaning flexuose line.
Diameter one fourth of the length.

[II. 52] \_32~\ 2d Subgenus. Dioplites.

Opercule with two spines above. First ray of the
thoracic fins spiny. Lateral line curved as the back.
Meaning two weapons.

15th Species. Trout River-bass. Lepomis Sal-
monca. Lepome saumone.

Olivaceous brown above, sides pale with some
round yellowish spots, beneath white: preopercule
simple, head without sutures, lower jaw hardly
longer, spines flat, short, acute, and decurrent above
and beneath, opercule acute beneath the spines: tail
lunulate, tip blackish : vent posterior.

Length from 6 to 24 inches. Vulgar names White
Trout, Brown Trout, Trout Pearch, Trout Bass,
Brown Bass, Black Bass, Black Pearch, &c. Com-
mon in the Kentucky, Ohio, Green ; and Licking
rivers, &c. It offers a delicate white flesh, similar
to the Perca Sabnonca. It is a voracious fish, with
many rows of sharp teeth on the jaws and in the
throat. It bites easily at the hook, and eats suckers,
minnows, and chubs. Diameter one fifth of the
lengdi. Fins olivaceous brown; dorsal with 25 rays,
whereof 10 are spiny, slightly depressed between
them : anal rounded small, 3 and 1 1 rays. Pectoral
acute trapesoidal 18 rays. Thoracic i and 5, spiny
ray half the length. Tail with 24 rays. Iris silvery.

1 6th Species. Spotted River-bass. Lepo^nis no-
tata. Lepome tache.

This species differs merely from the foregoing, by

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 81

having a black spot on the margin of the opercule,
two diagonal brown stripes on each side of the head
below the eyes, and all the fins yellow, except the
tail which is black at the end, with a narrow white
tip. It is also smaller, from 3 to 8 inches long. It
bears the same vulgar names and is found along with
it, of which some fishermen deem that it is the
young. But I have seen so many false assertions of
the kind elsewhere, that I am inclined to doubt this
fact, as it would be very strange that the gradual
changes should be so great. Yet this ought to be
enquired into, since many vulgar opinions are often
found to be correct.

17th Species. Sunfish River-bass. Lepomis
ictheloides. Lepome ictheloide.

[II. 53] \33\ Silvery, olivaceous above, some faint
blackish spots on the sides : lower jaw hardly longer,
head with sutures, two flat, broad and obtuse spines
above the opercule, decurrent with the sutures.
Vent medial. Tail lunulate. Diameter one fourth
of the length.

A very distinct species from the two foregoing.
It might almost form a peculiar subgenus, by the
medial vent, and obtuse spines situated above the
lateral line and opercule. It might be called Ainblo-
plites or obtuse weapons. It is found in the Ken-
tucky and tributary streams. Vulgar names White
Bass, or Sunfish Bass. Length from 4 to 8 inches.
It is also a fish of prey and has many rows of sharp
teeth. Its flesh is like that of the Sunfishes. Lat-
eral line following the curve of the back. Iris sil-
very. Body with gilt shades; dorsal with 21 rays,
II spiny, no depression. Anal 15, whereof 5 are
spiny and gradually shorter. Thoracics i and 5.

82 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Pectoral broad 12 rays. Tail 16. Branchial rays 5.
A faint and narrow marginal black spot on the oper-
cule beneath the spines.

VI Genus. Pomoxis. Pomoxis. Pomoxe.

Body elliptic, compressed, scaly. Vent anterior.
Head scaleless, jaws plaited extensible, roughened by
very minute teeth. Gill cover smooth, scaleless, pro-
percule forked beneath, opercule membranaceous and
acute posteriorly. Thoracic fins without appendage,
but a spiny ray. One dorsal fin opposite to the anal,
both with many spiny rays.

A very remarkable genus by the anterior vent,
equal anal and dorsal fin, by which it differs from
the genus Spams, besides the want of appendage,
&c. The name means acute opercule.

1 8th species. Gold-ring Pomoxis. Pomoxis
annularis. Pomoxe annulaire.

Synonymy. Pomoxis annularis. Journal of the
Acad, of Nat. Science of Philadelphia, vol. i, p. 417,
tab. 17, fig. I.

Silvery, back olivaceous, with some geminate
brown transversal lines ; a golden ring at the base of
the tail; lateral line straight: dorsal and anal fins
with six spiny rays, a marginal black spot behind
both fins : tail forked : lower jaw longer.

Vulgar names Gold-ring and Silver-perch. Found
in August at the falls, probably permanent. Length
from three to [II. 54] [j^] six inches. Good to eat.
Eyes black, iris silvery. Diameter three tenths of
the length. Head gilt above. Pectoral fins reaching
the vent. Scales deciduous and a little ciliated. End
of the tail blackish. Spiny rays of the anal and
dorsal fins gradually longer, but shorter than the soft

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 83

rays, which are also gradually decreasing ; the dorsal
has only 14, while the anal has 16 such rays. Cau-
dal 28. Thoracic one and five.

VII Genus. Red-eye. Aplocentrus. Aplocentre.

Body elliptic, compressed. Head small, jaws with
lips and teeth, opercule smooth and flexuose. Vent
medial. One longitudinal dorsal fin with only one
spine.

A singular genus, intermediate between Labrus,
Cynedus, and CorypJiena ; but belonging to the family
of Labrides. The name means single spine. I
describe it from a drawing made by Mr. Audubon.
It is also the i ith genus of my Prodromus.

19th Species. Ohio Red-eve. Aplocentrus calliops.
Aplocentre belseuil.

Pale greenish above, with some flexuose transver-
sal black lines, yellowish beneath the lateral line,
and with some small black lines, whitish and un-
spotted beneath : iris red: forehead flexuose convex:
upper jaw hardly longer: dorsal spine longer: tail
flabelliform : lateral line straight.

A beautiful fish from eight to twelve inches long.
It lives in the lower parts of the Ohio, in Green
river, &c. Vulgar names Red-eyes, Bride pearch,
Batchelor's pearch. Green bass, &c. Breadth about
one fourth of the length. Dorsal fin beginning be-
hind the head with a long spiny ray and ending close
to the tail, variegated with flexuose black lines:
broad at the base, depressed near the tail, and sud-
denly broad again at the end. Anal fin small.
Thoracic fin triangular. Lateral line rather broad.
Iris large and red. Tail unspotted, and with rounded
tip or fan-shaped.

84 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

VIII Genus. Barbot. Pogostoma, Barbotte.

Body oval, compressed. Head small, jaws equal,
without teeth, but with lips and six barbs, two to
each lip and two to the lower jaw: opercule smooth,
rounded. Two distant dorsal fins.

A fine genus next to Dipterodon and Cheilodipterus;
it be- [II. 55] [?j] longs to the family of Labrides,
and is distinguished from all the other genera by its
barbs. The real name means bearded mouth. It
was the loth genus of my prod, of 70 new genera.

20th species. White-eyes Barbot. Pogostoma
leucops. Barbotte ceuilblanc.

Brown, with five black curved streaks, two on each
side and one on the back, lateral line curved joining
the lower streaks : whitish beneath ; a row of trans-
versal lunulate, geminate and black lines, between
the two lateral streaks, six similar ones on the gill
cover: a large white and round patch surrounding
the eyes: tail forked: vent posterior.

A beautiful fish: shape of sunfish: length some-
times twelve inches and weight one pound. It is
found in the lower part of the Ohio and in the Mis-
sissippi ; but is a rare fish. It has great many vulgar
names, such as White-eyes, Spectacles-fish, Streaked
Sunfish, Black Sunfish, Barbot, Bearded Sunfish, &c.
and the French settlers call it Barbotte, Poisson
lunette, and CEuil blanc. It does not bite the hook,
and is only taken with the seine. The row of lunu-
lated lateral lines have the convexity towards the
head and extend through the tail. The two dorsal
fins are short and trapezoidal, anal fins very small.
Pectoral long. Thoracic under their hind part.
Convexity of the three pairs of lines on the opercule,

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 85

looking upwards. Eyes small and black, iris narrow
and yellow, the white patch appears as a second iris.
Chin and forehead between the eyes depressed, which
form a kind of rounded snout, mouth small, jaws
equal. I describe it from a drawing of Mr. Audubon.

IX Genus. Hogfish. Etheostoma. Etheostome.

Body nearly cylindrical and scaly. Mouth variable
with small teeth. Gill cover double or triple unser-
rate, with a spine on the opercule and without scales:
six branchial rays. Thoracic fins with six rays, one
of which is spiny; no appendage. One dorsal fin
more or less divided in two parts, the anterior one
with entirely spiny rays. Vent medial or rather
anterior.

A singular new genus, of which I have already
detected five species, so different from each other
that they might form as many subgenera. Yet they
agree in the above characters, and differ from the
genus Scicna by the shape of the body and [II. 56] [jd]
mouth, and the divided dorsal fin. The name means
different mouths. I divide it into two subgenera.
They are all very small fishes, hardly noticed, and
only employed for bait; yet they are good to eat,
fried, and may often be taken with baskets at the
falls and mill races. They feed on worms and
spawn.

ist Subgenus. Aplesion.

Dorsal fin single, split in the middle. Meaning
nearly simple.

2ist Species. Bass Hogfish. Etheostoma calliura.
Etheostome calliure.

Body slightly fusiform and compressed, silvery,

86 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

olivaceous above, some flexuose transversal brown-
ish lines on the sides: lower jaw longer, preoper-
cule double, opercule with an angular appendage and
an obtuse spine behind it: scales smooth, lateral line
flexuose: tail forked, tri-coloured, and with a brown
spot at the base.

The largest species of the genus from three to
nine inches long. It has some similarity with the
Lepomis flexuolaris, and some other River bass, where-
fore it is called Minny-bass, Little bass. Hog-bass,
&c. common in the Ohio, Salt river, &c. It has
sharp teeth. The head is large, rugose above: iris
large gilt brown : branchial rays uncovered. Diame-
ter one seventh of the length. Lateral line curved
upwards at its base. Fins olivaceous. Dorsal with
9 and 14 rays, beginning behind the pectorals and
ending far from the tail, like the anal, which has 12
rays, whereof one is spiny. Pectoral fins short trape-
zoidal 16 rays. Tail 24, fine, base with a yellow
curved ring, followed by a forked band of a pale
violaceous colour, tip hyalin. Mouth straight.

22d Species. Fantail HOGFISH. EtJicostovia fiabel-
lata. Etheostome eventail.

Body olivaceous brown, with transverse unequal
brown streaks, a black spot at the lower base of the
lateral line which is straight ; scales ciliated : mouth
puckered obliqual, jaws nearly equal, cheeks swelled,
preopercule simple, opercule curved, spine acute:
pectoral fins rounded. Tail oboval flabelliform.

A small fish only two or three inches long, common
at the falls of Ohio. Vulgar names Fan-tail, Black-
bass, Pucker, &c. [II. 57] [j/] Head small, with
swelled and dotted cheeks : iris brown with an inter-
nal gold ring ; branchial rays concealed. Scales small

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 87

roughened. Dorsal fin beginning above the pecto-
rals and ending beyond the anal, with 8 short spiny-
rays and 12 soft ones, olivaceous, with a longitudinal
brown stripe. Vent anterior: anal fin very far from
the tail, convex pale, rays i and 8. Pectoral fins
15. Caudal 20, olivaceous with many small trans-
versal and flexuose lines. Diameter less than one
seventh of the length.

[II. 169] 23d Species. Black Hogfish. Etheos-
toma nigra. Etheostome noire.

Entirely black, pale beneath ; scales smooth, lateral
line streight, mouth rather beneath, forehead rounded,
upper jaw longer; preopercule rounded, spine acute:
vent rather anterior: tail entire nearly truncate.

From one to two inches long. Observed in Green
river. Vulgar name. Black minny. Iris black, sil-
very, and small. Diameter one seventh of the length,
without spots. Head small. Pectoral fins oboval.
Tail 20. Anal fin 2 and 8. Dorsal 10 and 12.

2d Subgenus. Diplesion.

Dorsal fin nearly double, divided into two joining
parts. Meaning nearly double.

24th Species. Blunt nose Hogfish. Etheostoma
Blennioides. Etheostome blennioide.

Body elongate, breadth one eighth of the length,
olivaceous almost diaplanous, some brown spots on
the back, and some brown geminate transversal lines
across the lateral line, which is straight, but raised
at the base. Head small, snout rounded, mouth
small beneath, lower jaw shorter; opercule angular,
spine acute; scales ciliated, pectoral fins elongate,
tail also, and bilobed at the end.

A strange species, which has the appearance, head,

ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

and. spots of many Blennies. Length two or three
inches, and slender. Seen in the Ohio, Wabash,
Muskingum, «&c. Colour pale, sometimes fulvous,
whitish beneath. Cheeks swelled and smooth, pre-
opercule simple arched, opercule quite angular: iris
large and blackish : scales roughened by the ciliation.
Dorsal fin 13 and 13, beginning above the middle of
the pectorals and ending with the anal, one faint
longitudinal brown stripe on [j(5'] it. Tail 20 rays,
with many small transversal lines. Vent medial.
Anal fin 2 and 8. Pectoral fins 16, oblong acute.

[II. 170] 25th Species. Common Hogfish. Ethcos-
torna caprodes. Etheostome capros.

Body quite cylindrical, whitish, with about twenty
transverse bands, alternately shorter. Head elongate
obtuse, upper jaw longer, rounded; opercule angu-
lar, spine acute : lateral line quite straight : diameter
one eighth of the length : tail forked, olivaceous,
brown at the base, and with a black dot. Vent ante-
rior.

The most common species, found in the Ohio,
Cumberland, Wabash, Tennessee, Green River, Ken-
tucky, Licking, Miami, &c. ; called almost every
where Hog-fish. Length from two to six inches.
Scales rough upwards, hardly ciliate. Mouth be-
neath, small; upper jaw protruding like a hog's
snout, the nostrils being on it. Ej^'es above the eyes,
jutting, black, iris silvery. Sides of the head sil-
very, above fulvous; preopercule simple arched.
Branchial rays half visible. Fins hyalinous : dorsal
15 and 12, ending before the anal, which is very dis-
tant from the tail, rays 2 and 10. Pectoral fins trape-
zoidal 16. Tail 24.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 89

SECOND PART. ABDOMINAL FISHES.

Having complete gills, with a gill cover and a
branchial membrane. Lower or ventral fins situated
on the belly or abdomen, behind the pectoral or
lateral fins.

X. Genus, Goldshad. Pomolobus. Pomolobe.

Body nearly cylindrical, elongate, scaly. Vent
posterior. Abdomen carinated and serrated from
the head to the vent; but without plaits or broad
scales. Head scaleless, opercule lobed, with a
rounded shield above. Jaws without teeth, upper
truncate extensible, lower horizontal and fixed. Ab-
dominal fins with nine rays and without lateral
appendage: dorsal fin opposite.

Out of eight species of fishes, similar to the Her-
rings and Shads, which have already been observed
in the Ohio; after an attentive study, I have ascer-
tained that not a single one is a real Herring, nor
belongs to the genus Clupea, and I have been com-
pelled to form four new genera with them ; which
afford striking characters. The present one differs
from the real ge- [jp] nus Clupea by the lobed and
shielded opercule, the curious [II. 171] mouth, the
bodily shape, and the want of lateral appendage. It
belongs of course, with the four following, to the
family of Clupides. The name means lobed oper-
cule.

26th Species. Ohio Goldshad. Pomolobus. chry-
sochloris. Pomolobe dore.

90 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Greenish-gold above, silvery beneath; lateral line
straight : diameter two ninths of the length : dorsal
and anal fin trapezoidal and with 1 8 rays : tail brown
and forked.

A fine fivSh from twelve to eighteen inches long.
Flesh esteemed, white and with less bones than the
shad. It is taken with the seine and harpoon, as it
seldom bites at the hook: it preys however on some
small fishes. It seldom goes as far as Pittsburgh,
and does not run up the creeks. At the falls it ap-
pears in March and April, and disappears in Septem-
ber. Its vulgar names are Ohio Shad, Gold Shad,
Green Herring, &c.

It has the back convex, blue under the scales.
Sides, belly, and throat with purple and violet
shades. Top of the head and neck clouded with
browm. Several sutures on the sides of the head.
Upper lip truncate, flexuose, and even retuse; the
lower obtuse and brown at the end. Eyes black :
iris silvery and gilt. Opercule nearly trilobe, the
upper lobe covered by a large oboval and radiated
shield. Scales large deciduous, lateral line con-
cealed by them. Dorsal fin olivaceous, in the mid-
dle of the back, first and second ray shorter and
simple, the third long, the others gradually shorter.
Anal fin consimilar but whitish. Pectoral and ab-
dominal fins trapezoidal, the lowest ray simple and
the longest: pectoral 15 rays. Tail equal 32 rays,
brown, tip darker, equal, decurrent on each side, end
of the body truncate.

XI. Genus. Gizzard. Dorosoma. Dorosome.

Body lanceolate, compressed, scaly. Vent medial.
Abdomen carinated, serrated, and with broad trans-

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 91

versal scales, as far as the abdominal fins. Head
scaleless, gill cover triple, opercule simple: mouth
diagonal without teeth, lower jaw shorter. Abdom-
inal fins with nine rays and no appendage : dorsal
opposite.

It differs from Clupea and Pomolobus, by the medial
vent, lanceolate body, gill covers, &c. The name
means lanceolate body.

[II. 172] [^o] 27th vSpecies. Spotted Gizzard.
Dorosoma notata. Dorosome tachee.

Entirely silvery, a large brown and round spot
above the base of the lateral line, which is straight:
two oblong spots of an emerald colour above the
head: dorsal fin trapezoidal with 15 rays, anal longi-
tudinal with 40. Tail unequally forked, lower lobe
longer.

A small species, seldom reaching over nine or ten
inches. Diameter anteriorly one fifth of the length,
tapering gradually towards the tail. I found it be-
low the falls of the Ohio in August. It comes also
in the spring and disappears in the fall. Vulgar
names Gizzard, Hickory Shad, White Shad, &c. It
does not bite at the hook. Back faintly, bluish.
Mouth large, upper jaw obliqual straight and longer,
both fixed: tongue long and smooth. Eyes large,
bluish, with a black centre: iris silvery. Scales
small. Pectoral 12 rays, abdominals immediately
behind them.

XII Genus. Gold Herring. Notemigonus.
Notemigone.

Body fusiform, compressed, scaly. Vent posterior.
Abdomen obtusely carinated, not serrate: back simi-
lar before the dorsal fin. Head scaleless, mouth

92 ICHTHYOLOGIA OH I ENS IS

small without teeth, lower jaw longer: gill cover
double, opercule simple. Abdominal fins with nine
rays and no lateral appendage. Dorsal fin behind
them above the vent.

This genus differs from Clupea by the carinated
back and belly, without serratures, and the posterior
dorsal. The name means back half angular. 14th
G. of my Prodr. N. G. Animals.

28th Species. Ohio Gold Herring. Notemigonus
auratus, Notemigone dore.

Back gilt olivaceous, remainder gilt silvery; fins
yellow ; lateral line following the curve of the belly :
dorsal with 9 rays, anal with 12 : tail equally forked.

Length from four to eight inches, diameter one
fifth of the total length. Iris gilt. Tongue short,
toothless. Scales large radiating with nerves. Head
convex above and small. Dorsal fin broad trapezoid-
al, the first ray longer. Anal broad also, but not so
much. Pectoral small with 16 rays. Tail 24. Not
un- [II. 173] [^/] common in the Ohio, Kentucky,
Miami, &c. The vulgar names are Gold Herring
and Yellow Herring. It appears in the fall. It
does not bite at the hook. Flesh pretty good.

XIII Genus. False Herring. Hyodon. Hyodon.

Body lanceolate or oblong, compressed, scaly.
Vent posterior. Abdomen slightly and obtusely
carinated between the abdominal fins and the vent.
Head scaleless: mouth toothed all over, strongly on
the tongue, which is formed by the hyodal bone;
lower jaw narrow and commonly longer. Gill cover
with a preopercule. Abdominal fin with seven rays
and a lateral appendage. Dorsal fin behind them
above the base of the anal fin.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 93

Hyodon. Lesueur in Journal of the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. i, page 364,
Sept. 1818.

Glossodon. Rafinesque in American Monthly Mag.
1818.

Amphiodon. Rafinesque G. 15 of N. G. American
Animals, in Journal of Natural History Paris 18 19.

This genus has been minutely described by Mr.
Lesueur ; yet it is strange that he should have hardly
noticed the abdominal appendages, similar to those
of the genera Clupea, Salmo, Spams, &c. which are
very large, acute flat scaly adipose, and on the exter-
nal and lateral side of the base of each abdominal
fin. This genus differs from Clupea and the fore-
going genera by its mouth and teeth, abdomen and
abdominal fins; it approximates also to Erythrinus
and Chirocentrus. There are already five species
known, all called Herrings on the Ohio : they appear
early in the spring and disappear in the fall. They
live on small fishes, insects, worms, and spawn : they
often bite at the hook; and are taken in great quan-
tities with the seines. I have adopted Mr. Lesueur's
name, although it is not without objection, particu-
larly by its similarity with Diodon in sound; but
having divided the genus into three subgenera, one
of the names given to them might, if needful, be
adopted as the proper generic name.

I St Subgenus. Amphiodon.

Body lanceolate, lower jaw longer, dorsal fin be-
ginning opposite to the base of the anal fin. The
name means toothed all over.

[H. 174] [-/2] 29th Species. Toothed False Her-
ring. Hyodon amphiodon. Do.

94 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Amphiodon alosoidcs. Raf. 70 N, G. Animals. G.

15.

Diameter one fourth of total length, body silvery,

back with bluish gilt shades, head gilt above: lateral

line slightly curved downwards, tail acutely and

equally forked, bluish brown, base reddish. Dorsal

fin with 10 rays: anal fin with 34, ends acute, not

falcated.

Length from 14 to 18 inches. Jaws with large
conical acute teeth, similar to those of the tongue.
Scales large deciduous. Eyes behind the mouth,
round and black. Iris silvery gilt. Dorsal and anal
fins with blue shades. It is very good to eat. I
have observed it in the lower parts of the Ohio,
where it is not so common as the two following
species, and is often called Shad, owing to its larger
size. Pectoral fins with 16 rays, and not reaching
the abdominal fins. Tail with 24 rays.

30th Species. Summer False Herring. Hyodon
heterurus. Hyodon heterure.

Diameter one fifth of total length; body entirely
silvery olivaceous, brown above the head: lateral
line straight raised upwards at the base ; tail acutely
and unequally forked, the lower part longer. Dorsal
fin with 12 rays, the anal with 34, not falcated, both
ends obtuse.

Length from ten to twelve inches, body very nar-
row and compressed. Jaws with very small teeth,
the lower jaw much longer. Eyes over the corners
of the mouth, round and black, iris gilt. Fins
slightly olivaceous, the dorsal and anal have the two
first rays simple and the first very short, which pro-
duce the obtuse appearance of those fins. Caudal
with 24 rays, pectoral fins with 14 rays and reaching

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 95

the abdominal fins. A common species in the Ohio
and tributary streams ; it appears later than the
following, whence it is called Summer-herring. It
forms a connecting link between this and the follow-
ing subgenus, having the teeth as in the following
species.

2d Subgenus. Glossodon.

Body lanceolate, jaws equal with small teeth, dor-
sal fin opposite to the vent, nearly medial, beginning
behind the abdominal fins. The name means toothed
tongue.

[II. 175] [./j] 31st Species. Spring False Her-
ring. Hyodon vernalis. Hyodon printanier.

Diameter one fourth of total length, body entirely
silvery, back w4th bluish shades : lateral line straight,
tail equally forked, sinus obtuse. Dorsal fin with 13
rays, the anal with 28 rays, falcated and with acute
ends.

Length from ten to twelve inches; head small and
narrow, nostrils very large, eyes above the corner
of the mouth, black and somewhat elliptical verti-
cally, iris round, silvery with gilt shades. Fins
slightly olivaceous, the dorsal with 3 simple rays,
the first very short, anal fin somewhat adipose ante-
riorly. Pectoral fins with 12 rays, hardly reaching
the abdominal fins. Tail with 30 rays, somewhat
marginated with brown. Branchial membrane with
7 rays. This fish begins to appear all over the
Ohio and even at Pittsburgh in April: it is very
common; but a poor food, owing to its great num-
ber of small bones. It is sometimes smoked and
cured as the Atlantic Herrings; but is not quite
so o-ood.

96 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

3d Subgenus. Clodalus.

Body oblong irregular or somewhat rhomboidal.
Jaws nearly equal, the lower one somewhat longer
and with small teeth. Dorsal fin beginning before
the base of the anal fin.

32d Species. May false Herring. Hyodon clo-
dalus. Hyodon de May.

H. Clodalus. Lesueur Jour, Ac. N. Sc. i. p. 377.

Diameter one fourth of total length, body silvery,
back bluish, lateral line nearly straight, tail equally
forked, sinus obtuse. Dorsal fin with 15 rays, the
anal with 30, not falcated, ends acute.

Length eleven inches, fins yellow with metallic
colours on the rays, pectoral with 13 rays not reach-
ing the abdominal, caudal with 20 rays. It comes
as far as Pittsburgh in May. Its flesh is pretty good.
Eyes elliptical vertically, brown. Iris golden.

33d Species. Lake False Herring. Hyodon
clodalus. Hyodon lacustre.

H. tergisus. Lesueur Journ. Ac. N. Sc. i. p. 336,
tab. 14.

Diameter one fourth of total length, body silvery,
back blu- [II. 176] [^7] ish, gill covers golden: lateral
line somewhat fiexuose or somewhat arched towards
the back: tail equally forked, sinus obtuse. Dorsal
fin with 15 rays, anal with 32, falcated, rounded
anteriorly, acute behind.

This fish was observed by Mr. Lesueur in Lake
Erie. Mr, Say thinks he has seen it at Pittsburgh ;
but I have never observed it in the Ohio, and I
suspect that Mr. Say may have mistaken the Hyodon
vernalis for this species : in fact all the species are
blended by the fishermen and considered as alike ; I

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 97

therefore introduce it among the fishes of the Ohio
with some doubt. It has the same eyes and colours
as the foregoing. Length thirteen inches. Good
food. See Mr. Lesueur's minute description.

XIV Genus. Trout. Salmo. Truite.

Body somewhat cylindrical scaly, vent posterior.
Gill cover double, scaleless, more than four rays at
the branchial membrane. Mouth large, jaws with
strong teeth. Two dorsal fins, the first anterior or
opposed to the abdominal fins which have a scaly
appendage, the second adipose and opposed to the
anal fin.

This Linnean genus which includes the Trouts and
Salmono is confined to the head waters and brooks of
the Ohio. I only know two species as yet ; but there
may be more in the small streams of Ohio, the Cum-
berland and Clinch mountains, &c. The white fish
of Lake Erie, Coregonus albiis of Lesueur, (or Salmo
clupeformis of Dr. Mitchell,) a fish which differs from
the Trouts by being toothless, and is therefore a real
Coregouus, is said to be found in some streams of Indi-
ana, at the head of the Wabash and Miami; but I
have no certain proof of it. Other Trouts have been
seen in the Osage river and other streams putting
into the Missouri and Mississippi.

34th Species. Alleghany Trout. Salmo Alle-
ganiensis. Truite alleganienne.

Back brownish, sides pale with crowded round ful-
vous spots, and some scattered scarlet dots above and
beneath the lateral line, which is nearly straight:
lower jaw hardly longer, tail reddish nearly lunu-
late, dorsal fin quadrangular with brown stripes,
[II. 177] \j.5\ and ten rays: anal fin lanceolate whitish.

98 ICHTHYOLOGIA OH IE N SIS

with a longitudinal line black anteriorly and red poste-
riorly.

It is found in the brooks of the Alleghany moun-
tains falling into the Alleghany and Monongahela.
It has the manner of the small Brook-trouts, and is
called Mountain-trout, Creek-trout, &c. It is easily
caught with the hook, baited with earth-worms, and
they may be easily enticed by rubbing the bait and
hook with asafcetida like many other fishes. They
afford a very good food. Length about 8 inches.
Head olivaceous with violet shades. Iris brown.
Dorsal fin rufous with brown lines parallel with the
back. Pectoral fins oval, not reaching the base of
the dorsal nor abdominal fins, redish below, whitish
above, with a brown line. Abdominal fins with nine
rays and similar to the pectoral fins in colour, scaly
appendage very small. Tail with brown shades.
Adipose fin acute. Diameter of the body one sixth
of the total length. I have seen some individuals
(they may be the female or a variety) who were of a
paler colour, with fewer and smaller scarlet dots;
they had the yellowish spots more crowded, the fins
darker and the tail pale.

[II. 235] 35th Species. Black Trout. Salmo
nigresccns. Truite noiratre.

Body blackish brown, with some small spots, head
black; lateral line straight: lower jaw hardly longer;
fins and tail black, tail slightly forked. Dorsal fin
with 10 rays, anal fin with 15 rays.

A very rare species, seen only once, near the Lau-
rel hills; it is said to be found also in the Yoho-
gheny, a branch of the Monongahela. Length six
inches, diameter one fifth of total length. Iris black
and gilt. Slightly pale under the body.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT

XV. Genus. Minny, Minnilus. Minny.

Body elongated, somewhat compressed, covered
with small scales. Vent medial. Head flat above,
and somewhat shielded. Gill cover double, scale-
less, three branchial rays. Mouth diagonal, small,
toothless and beardless, without lips, lower jaw
shorter and narrower. A small trapezoidal dorsal
fin, nearer to the head than to the tail, opposite to
the abdominal fins, and without spines. Abdominal
fins with eight rays and without appendages. (Tail
forked in all the Ohio species.)

[^d] There are in the United States more than fifty
species of small fresh water fishes, (and in the Ohio
waters more than sixteen species) commonly called
Minnies, Minnews, Bait-fish, Chubs, and Shiners,
which should belong to the genus Cyprimis of Lin-
neus, or rather to the part of it which has been called
Leuciscus by Klein and Cuvier; which subgenus (or
genus) is distinguished by a small dorsal fin, no
spines nor beards; but as the genus Cjprt nus foruis
now a large family, and that even the genus Leuciscus
must be divided, since it contains more than one
hundred anomalous species, differing in the position
of the dorsal fin and the vent, the number of rays to
the abdominal fins, &c., I venture to propose this and
the three following genera. Three other different
genera might be es- [II. 236] tablished upon the
European species, distinguished as follow :

Dobula. Dorsal fin nearer to the tail, abdominal
fins with nine rays and an appendage: upper jaw
longer.

Phoxinus. Differs by ten abdominal rays and no
appendage.

100 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Alburnus. Differs from Dobula by no appendage
and the lower jaw longer.

Besides my genus Hemiplns, (Annals of nature,)
which has the vent posterior, the lower jaw longer,
only five rays and an appendage to the abdominal fins.

All these small fish are permanent; they feed on
worms, insects, univalve shells, and spawn ; they
bite at a small hook, baited with worms or flies, and
they form an excellent bait for all the larger fish
which feed upon them. They are good to eat when
fried.

36th Species. Slender Minny. Minuhis dinemus.
Minny emeraude.

Diameter one eighth of total length, silvery, back
olivaceous with a brown longitudinal stripe in the
middle: two lateral lines, one straight, the lower
curved downwards and shorter : head gilt and green
above. Dorsal fin 9 rays. Anal fin 12 rays.

A small and slender species, common in the Ohio,
&c. and going in flocks ; length two or three inches.
Its head is beautiful when alive : it is above of a fine
gold colour with green shades, becoming of an eme-
rald green above the eyes. Iris silvery: sides
opaque, upper lateral line gold-green. Nostrils [^7]
large. Pectoral fins with 12 rays, not reaching the
abdominal. All the fins silvery. Tail with 24 rays.
Scales very small.

37th Species. Spotted Minny. Minnilus notahis.
Minny tache.

Diameter one seventh of total length, silvery, back
olivaceous with a large brown stripe in the middle ;
head brown above, lateral line straight, a black spot
at the base of the tail. Dorsal with 8, and anal with
9 rays.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 101

Same size with the preceding, but not so slender
and less common. Iris golden, nostrils very large,
mouth small, lateral line shining blue on the opaque
sides. Pectoral fins with 12 rays and not reaching
the abdomen. Tail with 14 rays. It is often called
Minny-chub,

[II. 237] 38th Species. Littlemouthed minny.
Minnilus microstomus. Minny microstome.

Diameter one seventh of total length, silvery,
olivaceous on the back and head, sides with a few
black dots : lateral line straight, pectoral fins reach-
ing the abdominal fins. Dorsal and anal fins with
eight rays.

A small species found in the Kentucky river.
Mouth very small, nostrils large, iris silvery, fins
fulvous, the pectoral with 12, and the caudal with 24
rays. Head elongated.

XVI Genus. Shiner. Luxilus. Luxile.

Difference from Minmilus. Vent posterior or nearer
to the tail. Mouth rather large, commonly with lips
and equal jaws. Scales rather large. Preopercule
with an angular suture.

1st Subgenus. Chrosomus.

Mouth large, without lips, lower jaw much shorter.
Scales rough. Opercule flexuose.

39th Species. Redbelly Shiner. Luxihis ery-
throgaster. Luxile erythrogastre.

Diameter one sixth of total length: back oliva-
ceous brown, sides pale with two brown stripes, the
upper reaching from the gills to the tail, and the
lower from the nose to the anal fin ; belly white with
longitudinal red stripes from the pectoral fin to the

102 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

tail : lateral line curved downwards and only anterior.
Dorsal and anal fins elongated. Dorsal 8, and anal 7
rays.

A very distinct and insulated species, intermediate
between [^(^J this and the foregoing genus. It might
probably form a peculiar genus and be called Chro-
somiis erythrogaster or Kentucky Red belly. I saw it
in the Kentucky river. Length from four to six
inches. Tail forked as in all this family, and yellow
as well as the dorsal fin, and with twenty rays. All
the other fins are whitish. Head yellow above, sil-
very beneath, iris golden, the brown stripe goes
across the eyes. Pectoral fins trapezoidal, with 12
rays, not reaching the abdominal fins. Lateral line
reaching no farther than the dorsal fin. Anal fin
narrow. It is called Red belly Chub.

2d Subgenus. Luxilus.

Mouth rather large, with small flat lips, jaws equal,
scales large.

[II. 238] 40th Species. Goldhead Shiner. Luxi-
lus ckrysoccphalus. Luxile chrysocephale.

Diameter one fifth of total length, silvery with
golden shades on the sides, head gilt, back and nape
dark olivaceous ; lateral line curved downwards, pec-
toral fins reaching the abdominal. Dorsal and anal
fins with nine rays.

Vulgar names, Gold Chub, Shiner, Goldhead, &c.
Length six inches. It is foimd in the Kentucky,
Ohio, Cumberland, Green river, &c. Iris golden.
Fins fulvous, the pectoral golden large with 14 rays:
tail with 24. It resembles the common Shiner
or Butterfish of Pennsylvania, Cyprinus chrysoleucos
Mitchell; but that fish is a Rutilus, having nine

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 103

abdominal rays, its body is besides shorter and the
anal fin is falcated with 15 rays.

41st Species. Kentuckian Shiner. Luxilus Ken-
tuckiensis. Luxile du Kentuky.

Diameter one seventh of total length, silvery, back
olivaceous, lateral line curved downwards, dorsal and
caudal fins red, the pectoral yellow, not reaching- the
abdomen. Dorsal 8, and anal 7 rays.

Vulgar names, Indian Chub, Red tail, Shiner, &c.
Length about four inches. It is reckoned an excellent
bait for anglers, because it will swim a long while with
the hook in its body. Eyes small, iris brown with a
gold ring. Yellowish brown a- \j-g\ bove the head.
Abdominal and anal fins white. . Pectoral and abdom-
inal fins oboval, with 12 rays. Tail with 24 rays.

42d Species. Yellow Shiner. Luxilus interrup-
tus. Luxile jaunatre.

Diameter one sixth of total length : yellowish
olivaceous above, silvery beneath, rufous brown above
the head, a rufous line from the dorsal to the tail,
two straight and separated half lateral lines, the ante-
rior one above the posterior: pectoral fins reaching
the abdominal. Dorsal with 10 and anal with 9 rays.

A small species, only three inches long, called
Yellow Chub or Shiner. Seen in the Ohio. Sides
opaque, with violet shades. Iris silvery, mouth
large, lips very apparent. Fins yellowish, pectorals
with 16 rays, caudals with 24.

[II, 239] XVII Genus. Chubby. Semotilus.
Semotile.

Difference from Minnilus. Vent posterior or nearer
to the tail. Dorsal fin posterior, opposite to the vent
and behind the abdominal fins. Mouth large and
with lips. Scales rather large. Preopercule angular.

104 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

43d Species. Bigback Chubby. Setnotihis dorsalis.
Semotile dorsal.

Diameter one fifth of total length : silvery, back
olivaceous with some black dots, and raised; head
brown above, a crenulated keel above each eye: lat-
eral line upwards at the base : tail brown, with a
black spot at the base and another before it. Dorsal
fin with 8 rays and a large brown spot at the anterior
base. Anal fin with 9 rays.

It is found in the Kentucky, and several other riv-
ers. Vulgar names. Big-back Minny or Chub, Skim-
back, &c. Length from three to six inches. Iris
gilt brown. Fins olivaceous, pectoral fins with 12
rays, trapezoidal not reaching the abdominal. Tail
with 24 rays, end pale, base with a round black dot,
and a smaller one before it on the body, when the
lateral line terminates. Head separated from the
back by a suture connected with the opercule, back
large convex higher.

44th Species. Bighead Chubby. Senotilus cepha-
lus. Senotile cephale.

Diameter one fifth of the total length: silvery,
back brownish, lateral line raised upwards at the
base; fins fulvous, the pecto- ^56] ral reddish, the
caudal pale at the end and unspotted, the dorsal with
nine rays and a large black spot at the anterior base,
anal with nine rays.

Length from six to eight inches, not uncommon
in the creeks of Kentucky, &c. Vulgar names Chub,
Big-mouth, and Big-head. It has really the largest
head and mouth of this tribe. Iris redish iridescent.
Pectoral fins with 15 rays trapezoidal and short,
abdominal fins rounded, dorsal fin beginning over
them, spot round. Tail with 20 rays.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 105

45th Species. Warty Chubby. Semotilusdiplemia.
Semotile verruqueux.

Diameter one sixth of total length: olivaceous
brown with gold shades above, silvery beneath: lat-
eral line double, the an- [IL 240] terior and lower
curved upwards at the base, reaching to the abdomi-
nal fins, the posterior and upper straight from the
pectoral fins to the tail : fins red, a spot at the base
of the dorsal and caudal, and many dots over them.
Dorsal with nine rays ; the anal with eight.

Length from three to four inches, often called
Minny or Red-fin. Observed in the Kentucky river
near Estill. The male fish has a larger mouth than
the female and some black warts on the head. Ful-
vous brown on the head. Iris large, golden, and
white. Some black dots on the dorsal and caudal
fins: the caudal spot is on the tail, and the dorsal at
the anterior base ; they are small and round. The
pectoral fins do not reach the abdominal fins; they
have 18 rays: the tail has 24.

XVIII Genus. Fallfish. Rutilus. Rutile.

Difference from Mintiilus. Vent posterior nearer
to the tail. Abdominal fins with nine rays. Mouth
large and with lips. Scales large.

I call this genus Rutilus, in the supposition that
Cyprinus rutilus may be the type of it ; if it should
be otherwise, it may be called Plargyrus.

46th Species. Silverside Fallfish. Rutilus
plargyrus. Rutile plargyre.

Diameter one fifth of total length : silvery, back
with the dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins olivaceous:
lateral line curved [5/] downwards : snout truncate,

106 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

mouth almost vertical. Dorsal and anal fins with
nine rays.

Length from four to six inches: vuglar names,
Silverside, vShiner, White Chub, &c. Common in
the streams of Kentucky. Mouth large, upper jaw-
almost vertical, yet longer than the lower. Iris
white. Pectoral fins with 14 rays, reaching almost
the abdominals, which are oboval and white. Tail
forked as usual with 24 rays. Scales large.

47th Species. Baiting Fallfish. Rntihis com-
pressus. Rutile appat.

Diameter one seventh of total length : silvery, back
fulvous, sides compressed, lateral line .straight,
raised upwards at the base, snout rounded, mouth
hardly diagonal, nearly horizontal. Dorsal and anal
fins with nine rays.

[II. 241] A small fish from two to four inches long,
called Fall-fish Bait-fish, Minny, &c. It is found
in the Alleghany Mountains in the waters of the
Monongahela, Kenhaway, and even in the Potomac.
The name of Fall-fish arises from its being often
found near falls and ripples. Body more compressed
than in the other species, as much so as in the genus
Minnibis. Scales large, lips a little fleshy. Iris sil-
very gilt. Fins transparent, the pectoral with 14 rays
and not reaching the abdominal, tail with 32 rays.

48th Species. Roundnose Fallfish. Rutilus Am-
blops. Rutile amblopse.

Diameter one sixth of total length : silvery, head
fulvous above, snout round: sides with an opaque
band, lateral line straight: pectoral fins with 12 rays
and reaching the abdominal fins. Dorsal and anal
fins with 10 rays.

Length one or two inches. Vulgar name White

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 107

Chub or Fall-fish. It is found at the falls of the
Ohio. Back slightly fulvescent, snout large and
rounded, mouth hardly diagonal, eyes large, iris sil-
very, and scales large. Tail with 30 rays.

49th Species. Blacktail Fallfish. Rutihis mela-
mirus. Rutile melanure.

Diameter one sixth of total length : silvery, back
brownish: snout rounded, lateral line straight, tail
blackish. Dorsal fin with 15 rays, anal with 12.

[5.?] Length from four to six inches. Vulgar
name Blacktail Chub. In the Ohio and Muskingum,
&c. Head dark brown above. Mouth diagonal, iris
silvery. Scales pretty large. Fins brownish, the
lower ones pale, the pectoral short with 12 rays.
Tail with 20 rays.

5Cth Species. Anomal Fallfish. Rutilus anoma-
lous. Rutile anomal.

Diameter one fifth of total length, fulvous above,
sides dusky, white beneath : snout rounded, a verti-
cal brown line behind the gills ; lateral line straight
raised upwards at the base : pectoral fins yellow ob-
oval short with 15 rays: tail unequally bilobed, the
upper lobe larger. Dorsal and anal fins red, dorsal
8 and anal 7 rays.

An anomalous fish, differing from all those of the
Cyprinian [II. 242] tribe in the Ohio, by its unequal
bilobed tail, which is brownish and has 22 rays.
Mouth diagonal. Eyes small, iris olivaceous gilt.
Nape of the neck red, scales rather small. Length
three inches. Found in Licking river &c. Vulgar
names Chub, Redfish, Fallfish, &c.

51st Species. Red Minny. Rutilus ruber. Rutile
rouge.

Entirely red, tail forked.

108 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

I add here a fine small fish, which I have never
seen as yet, but is said to live in the small streams
which fall into the Elkhorn and Kentucky. It is a
slender fish, only two inches long, compressed and
of a fine purple red. It may belong to this genus,
or to any other of this tribe. It is commonly called
Red-minny.

XIX Genus, Flat-head. Pimephales. Pimephale.

Body oblong, thick, and scaly. Vent posterior
nearer to the tail. Head scaleless, fleshy all over,
even over the gill covers, rounded, convex above and
short. Mouth terminal small, toothless, with hard
cartilagineous lips. Opercule double, three branchial
rays. Nostrils simple. Dorsal fin opposite the ab-
dominals, with the first ray simple and cartilaginous.
Abdominal fins with eight rays.

A singular new genus, which differs from Catasto-
mus by the terminal mouth, hard lips, soft head,
simple dorsal ray, &c. The name is abbreviated
from Pimelecephales which means Flat-head.

[II. 299] [5j] 52d Species. Blackheaded Flat-
head. Pimephales promelas. Pimephale tete-noire.

Diameter one fourth of the length, body oliva-
ceous silvery, head blackish, snout truncated, and
with soft warts: fins whitish, dorsal with a large
irregular black spot at the anterior base, with eight
forked rays, and one simple shorter obtuse hard:
anal with eight rays ; lateral line flexuose and raised
at the base, tail lunulate.

A small fish three inches long. It is rare and
hardly known by the anglers. I describe it from a
specimen taken with a hook baited with earth-worm,
by Mr. William M. Clifford, in a pond near Lexing-

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 109

ton, in the month of April 1820, and now preserved
in the Museum in Lexington. Its head is very-
remarkable, soft and fat all over, the snout sloping,
broad, truncate with soft warts in front, mouth at its
inferior extremity very small, elliptical transversal,
with equal circular hard lips. The whole head and
even the eyes are of dusky and bluish black colour.
Pectoral fins trapezoidal with 1 5 rays, the upper rays
of the colour of the head. Tail olivaceous lunu-
lated, with 20 forked rays and 5 short simple rays on
each side of the base. Abdominal fins quadrangu-
lar. The first ray of the dorsal is singular, thick,
short, hard, and yet blunt, almost cartilaginous, or
not properly spinous, and not at all serrate as in the
Carps. Scales pretty large.

XX Genus. Sucker. Catostomus. Catostome.

Body oblong cylindrical scaly. Vent posterior or
nearer to the tail. Head and opercules scaleless and
smooth. Mouth beneath the snout, with fleshy,
thick, or lobed sucking lips. Jaws toothless and
retractible. Throat with pectinated teeth. Nostrils
double. Gill-cover double or triple. Three bran-
chial rays to the gill membrane. A single dorsal fin
commonly opposite to the abdominal fins, which
have from eight to ten rays.

[II. 300] Lesueur has established this genus, in
the fi.rst volume of the Journal of the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, with all the Ameri-
can species of the genus Cypri?ms which have the
above characters, and he has described eighteen
species belonging to it. I have discovered twelve
additional new species in the waters of the Ohio,
where about sixteen new spe- [j^] cies have already

110 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

been detected. This genus having become so ex-
tensive at an early period, and many other species
existing probably in North America and Siberia, I
have therefore divided it into five subgenera, employ-
ing principally the number of abdominal rays. All
these fishes are permanent in the Ohio its branches
and the ponds. Some however disappear in winter,
retreating into deep water or into the mud. Many bite
at the hook. They feed on univalve shells, small
fishes and spawn. They offer a tolerable food.

I St. Subgenus. Moxostoma.

Body oblong, compressed; head compressed, eight
abdominal rays, dorsal fin commonly longitudinal,
tail commonly unequally forked.

53d vSpecies. Ohio Carp Sucker. Catostomus
anis2irus. Catostome anisure.

Diameter one fifth of the length : silvery, slightly
fulvescent above, fins red, the dorsal olivaceous fal-
cated with 17 rays, nearer to the head and reaching
the vent: lateral line curved upwards and flexuose
at the base.- snout gibbose: tail forked, upper part
longer. Anal fin falcate with eight rays.

A large species common all over the Ohio and the
large streams, as far as Pittsburgh. Permanent and
sometimes taken in winter. It is called Carp every
where. Length from one to three feet. It is taken
with the hook, seine, and dart. Its flesh is pretty
good, but soft. The male fish has a red tail ; while
it is olivaceous in the female. Snout divided from
the head by a transverse hollow which makes it gib-
bose. Eyes black, iris silvery and golden above.
Sides often with copper shades. Scales large with
concentric stria. Pectoral fins large oval acute with

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 111

15 rays and reaching the abdominal fins. Caudal
with 24 rays.

[II. 299 i.e., 301] 54th Species. Buffalo Carp
Sucker. Cotostomus anisopturiis. Catostome anisop-
ture.

Diameter one fourth of the total length : silvery :
head sloping, lateral line curved as the back : tail
unequally bifid, upper part much longer : dorsal fin
longitudinal, beginning above the pectorals and
reaching the end of the anal, sinuated by a double
falcation, first ray very long.

[55] A singular species which I have never seen.
I describe it from a drawing of Mr. Audubon. It is
found in the lower part of the Ohio, and is called
Buffalo Carp, Buffalo perch, Buffalo Sucker, White
Buffalo-fish, &c. Length about one foot. Very good
to eat. Taken with the seine in the spring only.
Body broad, dorsal fin broad and large, remarkable
by its shape like a double sickle, and first ray which
reaches the tail. Anal fin small and falcate. Pecto-
ral fins reaching the abdominal fins. The number
of abdominal rays was not observed, if it should have
nine it would be nearer to C. Velifer and C. setosus,
or it may form a peculiar subgenus.

The C. tuberailatus of Lesueur belongs also to this
subgenus, having eight abdominal rays ; but its tail
is regularly bifid.

2d Subgenus. Ictiorus.

Body nearly cylindrical. Dorsal fin elongated,
abdominal fins with nine rays, tail bilobed, com-
monly equal.

The C. gibbosus and C. Communis, of Lesueur,
appear to be intermediate between this subgenus and

112 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

the foregoing, having nine abdominal rays, but an
unequal bilobed tail.

55th Species. Brown Buffalo-fish. Catostomus
bubal us. Catostome bubale.

Diameter one fifth of the total length ; olivaceous
brown, pale beneath, fins blackish, pectoral fins
brown and short: head sloping, snout rounded,
cheeks whitish : lateral line straight, dorsal fin nar-
row with 28 equal rays, anal trapezoidal with 12 rays.

One of the finest fishes of the Ohio, common also
in the Mississippi, Missouri, and their tributary
streams. It is called every where Buffalo-fish, and
Piconeau, by the French settlers of Louisiana. I
had called it Amblodon bubal us in my 70 N. G. of
American Animals, having been misled by the com-
mon mistake which ascribed to it the teeth of the
Amblodon grunni- [II. 400, i.e., 302] ens-, but it is a real
Catostomus, without any such teeth. Length from
two to three feet ; some have been taken weighing
thirty pounds and upwards. It is commonly taken
with the dart at night when asleep, or in the seine ;
it does not readily bite at the hook. It feeds on
smaller fishes and shells, and often goes in shoals.
It retires into deep water in the winter, yet is some-
times taken even then. It comes as far as Pittsburgh.
Its flesh [5(5] is pretty good but soft. Scales rather
large. Tail with 24 rays and two equal rounded
lobes. Iris gilt brown, eyes small. Pectoral fins
with 16 rays. Dorsal fins shallow and even begin-
ning just before the abdominal fins, and ending at
the base of the anal fin.

56th Species. Black Buffalo-fish. Catostomus
niger. Catostome noir.

Entirely black, lateral line straight.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 113

I have not seen this fish. Mr. Audubon describes
it as a peculiar species, found in the Mississippi and
the lower part of the Ohio, being entirely similar to
the common Buffalo-fish, but larger, weighing some-
times upwards of fifty pounds, and living in separate
shoals.

3d Subgenus. Carpiodes.

Body oblong, somewhat compressed; head com-
pressed, nine abdominal rays, dorsal fin commonly
elongate, tail equally forked.

The C. cyprinus and C. setostis, of Lesueur, belong
to this Subgenus.

57th Species. Olive Carp Sucker. Catostomus
carpio. Catostome carpe.

Diameter one fourth of the length: olivaceous
above, pale beneath, chin white, abdomen bluish:
lateral line straight, dorsal fin somewhat falcated
with 36 rays, anal trapezoidal with 10 rays; head
sloping, snout rounded.

Seen at the falls of the Ohio, commonly called
Carp. Length from one to two feet. Eyes very
small and black, fins olivaceous brown, the pectorals
olivaceous, trapezoidal short and with 16 rays. Tail
with 24. Dorsal fin beginning before the abdominal
and reaching the end of the anal fin. Not so good
to eat as the Buffalo-fish.

[II. 301 i.e., 303] 58th Species. Sailing Sucker.
Catostomus velifer. Catostome volant.

Diameter less than one fourth of the length : body
elliptical, silvery with golden shades, lateral line
flexuose, dorsal fin very broad falcated with 25 rays,
the first ones very long, anal fin trapezoidal lunulate
with 10 rays: head sloping, snout rounded.

114 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Catostomous anonymous Lesueur in Journ. Ac. Nat.
Sc. of Philadelphia, Vol. i, page iio.

[57] A singular fish, not very common, yet found
as far as Pittsburgh. It has received the vulgar names
of Sailor fish, Flying fish, and Skimback, because,
when it swims, its large dorsal fin appears like a sail,
and it often jumps or flies over the water for a short
distance. Length commonly from twelve to sixteen
inches, of which the tail, which is very large, includes
one fourth, and has 24 rays. Back slightly oliva-
ceous, scales very large. Fins olivaceous brown,
except the abdominal and pectoral, which are white.
The dorsal beginning before the abdominal and reach-
ing the end of the anal, the second and third rays
are one third of the whole body, the first is short
and cleaving to the second; mouth small, quite ter-
minal at the lower end of the rounded snout; head
small, convex above. Pectoral fins with 16 rays.
Not very good to eat. Seen only in summer.

59th Species. Mud Sucker. Catostovius xanthopus.
Catostome xanthope.

Diameter one fourth of the length : lateral line
straight: silvery, back olivaceous, head brown above,
snout gibbose rounded : dorsal fin hardly falcate with
14 rays, anal lanceolate with 8 rays: lower fins
yellowish.

Found below the falls. Length from six to ten
inches. It lives in muddy banks, and conceals itself
in the mud. Flesh very soft. Head large, flattened
above, mouth large, eyes large. Iris silvery. Lat-
eral line hardly raised at the base. Dorsal fin above
the abdominal, fins olivaceous as well as the tail,
which has 20 rays. Pectorals with 18 rays. Scales
large.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 115

4th Subgenus. Teretulus.

Body elongate cylindrical or somewhat quadrangu-
lar, nine abdominal rays, dorsal fins commonly small,
tail equally forked.

An extensive Subgenus to which belong all the
following [II. 302 i.e., 304] species of Lesueur: C.
atircolus, C. macrolepidotus, C. longirostrum, C. nigri-
cans, C. vittatus, C. inaculosiis, C. Sucetta, besides the
C. teres and C. oblongiis of Mitchell.

60th Species. Black-face Sucker. Cotostomus
melanops. Catostome melanopse.

Diameter one seventh of the length : head squared,
blackish above, snout convex obtuse; back oliva-
ceous, sides whitish with scattered black dots, a black
spot on the gill cover, and a [jc?] large one between
the dorsal and caudal fins: lateral line straight,
dorsal fin with 14 rays, anal with 9 rays.

A singular species seen at the falls. It is rare and
called Spotted Sucker or Black Sucker. Length
from four to six inches; body cylindrical, flattened
beneath as far as the vent. Head flat above, black-
ish there and in the fore part. Mouth almost ter-
minal with thick whitish lips, the lower one shorter
and thicker, a few small black spots on the sides of
the head and a large one on the preopercule. Gill
cover silvery. Eyes black, iris brown with a gold
ring. Back of a rufescent colour with gold shades.
A very large black patch above the anal fin before
the tail. Sides pale with small unequal black dots,
belly whitish. Fins coppery, the pectoral elliptical
elongated with 18 rays, the anal elongated reaching
the tail, the dorsal broad and opposed to the abdom-

116 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

inal. Tail with 20 rays. Scales rather large ner-
vosa radiated.

6 1 St Species. Black-back Sucker. Catostomus
melajwttis. Catostome melanote.

Diameter one sixth of the length : bluish black a-
bove, whitish beneath ; head convex, snout obtuse : lat-
eral line straight : dorsal and anal fins with nine rays.

Seen only once at the falls. Length six inches,
body nearly cylindrical. Mouth rather inferior, lips
thick and somewhat gristly. Iris silvery. Scales
pretty large. Fins whitish, the dorsal and caudal a
little redish. Pectoral fins elliptical with 16 rays.
Tail 20. Dorsal fin trapezoidal, opposed to the ab-
dominal, the first ray shorter. Anal elliptical obtuse.
Vulgar names Black Sucker and Blue Sucker.

62d Species. Rough-head Sucker, Catostomus
fasciolaris. Catostomus fascie.

Diameter one sixth of the length: brown above,
white be- [II. 305] neath, sides with small transversal
black lines : head sloping, tuberculated above, snout
obtuse: dorsal fin longitudinal reaching the end of
the anal fin, lateral line straight.

I have not seen this species, but describe it from a
drawing of Mr. Audubon. It is found in the lower
part of the Ohio. Vulgar names Rough-head Sucker,
Pike Sucker, Striped vSucker. Length about eight
inches, body cylindrical tapering behind.

[5p] Eyes small, mouth beneath. Lower fins
trapezoidal, about twenty transversal lines. A
doubtful species, perhaps an Hydrargyrus, but the
mouth is like that of the Sucker.

63d Species, Red-tail Sucker, Catostomus ery-
thrurus. Catostome rougequeue.

Diameter one fifth of the length: rufous brown

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 117

above, white beneath; tail olivaceous: head convex,
snout rounded. : lateral line straight : dorsal fin trape-
zoidal redish with 12 rays, anal fin elongated yellow,
anal falcated, with 7 rays.

A fine species, not uncommon in the Ohio, Ken-
tucky, Cumberland, Tennessee, &c. Vulgar names
Red-horse, Red-tail, Horse-fish, Horse Sucker, &c.
Length about one foot. Scales very large. Mouth
beneath. Iris whitish, eyes black. Pectora[l] fins
yellow elliptical reaching the abdominals and with
16 rays. Tail large with 20 rays. Its flesh is dry
and not very good to eat.

64th Species. Kentucky Sucker. Catostomus
flexuosus. Catostome flexueux.

Diameter one fifth of the length: silvery, back
brownish, scales rather rough, opercule flexuose :
head squared, snout gibbose truncate; lips very
thick, the inferior bilobed: lateral line flexuose: tail
brown: dorsal fin blackish with 12 rays, anal fin
whitish with 7 rays and reaching the tail.

The most common species in Kentucky, in all the
streams and ponds, called merely Sucker. Very
good to eat. It conceals itself in the mud in winter.
It bites at the hook, living on minnies and little lob-
sters. Body thick cylindrical. From ten to twelve
inches long. Head large, a deep depresion between
the snout and the head, mouth large with fleshy lips.
Eyes large black, iris yellow. Opercule hard bony.
Lower fins whitish, pectorals elongated elliptical with
20 rays. Tail 20 [II. 306] rays. Dorsal trapezoidal
sloping behind. This fish is the most useful to keep
in ponds.

65th Species. Big-mouth Sucker. Catostomus?
megastomus. Catostome megastome.

118 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Diameter one fifth of the length : blackish above,
yellowish beneath, very broad: a spine at the base
of the pectoral fins : lateral line straight.

\66\ A very doubtful species seen by Mr. Audubon.
It comes sometimes in shoals in March, and soon dis-
appears. Only taken with the seine, not biting at
the hook; vulgar name Brown Sucker. The mouth
is very remarkable, being broader than the head,
somewhat projecting on the sides. Length one foot.
The head resembles that of the Cat-fish, but has no
barbs. Is it a peculiar genus owing to the mouth
and pectoral spine? It might be called Eurystoums.
The yellow colour covers the forehead and reaches
to the anal fin. Dorsal opposed to the abdominal and
trapezoidal, pectorals elliptical yellow.

5th Subgenus. Decactylus.

Body nearly cylindrical, abdominal fins with lo
rays: tail equally forked.

Besides the two following species, the C. bostonien-
sis and C. hudsonms, must be enumerated here.

66th. Species. Pittsburgh Sucker. Catostomus
duqucsni. Catostome duquesne.

Diameter one fifth of the length, whitish ; lateral
line curved towards the back : anal fin with nine rays
extending to the tail: dorsal with 14 rays and trape-
zoidal.

C. diiquesni Lesueur J. Ac. Nat. Sc. v. i, p. 105.

This species has been pretty well described by Le-
sueur: see his description. Length from 15 to 20
inches : good to eat, found in the Ohio as far as Pitts-
burgh : vulgar name White Sucker.

67th Species. Long Sucker. Catostomus elongatas.
Catostomus allonge.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 119

Diameter one seventh of the length; brownish;
lateral line nearly straight: snout and opercules
tuberculated : dorsal fin with 32 rays, long, falci-
form and raised anteriorly. Ana[l] fin small with 8
rays.

[II. 307] C, elongatus Lesueur J, Ac. Nat. Sc. v. i,
page 103.

It is found in the Ohio as far as Pittsburgh, and
called Brown Sucker. Length from 20 to 25 inches.
Head small cuneiform above : Scales large. Good
to eat. See Mr. Lesueur's description.

[II- 355] [^^] XXI Genus. Suckrel. Cvcleptus.
Cyclepte.

Difference from the foregoing genus — Two dorsal
fins, mouth round and terminal.

The name means small round mouth.

68th Species. Black Suckrel. Cyclepttis Jiigres-
cens. Cyclepte noiratre.

Blackish, belly whitish, mouth recurved, tail
forked.

Cycleptiis. 17th G. of Prod. 70 N. G. American
Animals.

A singular and rare fish, which I have never seen,
but mention upon the authority of Mr. Bollman of
Pittsburgh ; where it sometimes appears in the spring ;
but it is a rare fish, whose flesh is very much esteemed.
It is also found in the Missouri, whence it is some-
times called the Missouri Sucker. Length two feet.

XXII Genus. Catfish. Pimelodus. Pimelode.

Body scaleless, elongated. Head large with barbs.
Two dorsal fins, the second adipose and separated
from the tail, the first short and commonly armed.

120 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Pectoral fins commonly armed. Teeth like a file.
Vent commonly posterior.

The extensive genus Silnrns of Linneus, which is
scattered throughout the rivers of both continents,
has not yet been completely illustrated, notwith-
standing the labours of the modern ichthyologists. I
have found in the Ohio about twelve species belong-
ing to it : most of which offer consimilar characters
and appear to belong to the genus Pwielodus of Lace-
pede and Cuvier : which have left the name of Sihirus
to the species having one dorsal fin. I have already
published a monography of them in the Journal of
the Royal Institution of London, under the generic
name of Silurns. I now propose to form with them
a peculiar subgenus, divided in many sections, and
different from the subgenera Bagrus, Synodontus, Silu-
sox, &c.

[II. 356] Subgenus. Ictalurus.

Head depressed with eight barbs, one at each cor-
ner of the mouth, longer than the others, four under
the chin, and two on the snout behind the nostrils.
Teeth in two patches, acute and file-shaped. Pec-
toral fins and first dorsal fin armed with an anterior
spine. First dorsal trapezoidal and before the ab-
domi- [62] nals, second opposite the anal. Body
compressed behind, vent posterior or sub medial.
Operculum simple.

The fishes belonging to this group are common
throughout the United States, the Silurus catus of
Linneus, which is not found in the Ohio, belongs
also to it. They are sedentary in the Ohio and
branches, and very voracious, feeding on all smaller
fishes : they are easily taken with the hook ; their
flesh is esteemed, and, although it is somewhat tough

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 121

in the largest species, it makes notwithstanding ex-
cellent soup. These fishes often come to a great size
and live to a great age. The name of Ictahtrus,
means Cat-fish in Greek.

I St Section. Elliops. Tail forked. Eyes ellip-
tical. Abdominal fins with less than nine rays.

69th Species. Spotted Catfish. Pimelodus macu-
latus. Pimelode tachete.

Upper jaw longer, lateral barbs black, reaching the
dorsal fin. Eyes elliptical. Body whitish with
small unequal brown spots on the sides; vent sub-
medial: tail unequally forked, upper lobe longer.
Pectoral fins fenestrated. Anal fin longitudinal with
27 rays. Lateral line straight.

Silurus maculatus. Monogr. sp. i.

One of the small species, commonly about one foot
long and slender, never reaching a large size. Vul-
gar names Spotted, White, and Channel Catfish. It
is found as far as Pittsburgh, but is not very com-
mon. Flesh very good. Head long and flat, oliva-
ceous rufous above, jaws rounded, lips thick. Upper
barbs the shortest and white ; the exterior inferior
ones long and black at the end. Iris elliptical white.
Body somewhat attenuated behind, entirely silvery
white. Belly white, flattened, without spots or
shades. Sides with gilt and blue shades, besides the
brown spots. Back unspotted, pale, rufescent. Lat-
eral line not reaching the gills and slightly raised
upwards [II. 357] at the base. First dorsal fin with
six soft rays. Pectoral fins with five, spiny ray
longer, very thick, and united to the fin by a fenes-
trate web on the inner serrate side. Abdominal
oboval and with 8 rays. Caudal with 20, Lobes
acute. All the fins redish, marginated, or tipped

122 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

with brown. Tail marg-inated. Adipose fins brown.

[4?] 70th Species. Blue Catfish. Pivelodus ceru-
lescens. Pimelode bleuatre.

Upper jaw longer, lateral barbs black, shorter
than the gills. Eyes elliptical. Operculum and
lateral line flexuose. Body of a bluish lead colour,
whitish beneath, unspotted. Tail equally forked,
base redish. Anal fin arched with 25 rays.

Sihirus cerulescens. Monogr. sp. 3.

A fine species, reaching sometimes to a very large
size, I have been told that one was taken weighing
185 pounds and another 250 pounds. Vulgar names
Blue Cat and Brown Cat, or Catfish. It is not
uncommon in the lowest parts of the river. Whole
shape somewhat fusiform as in all the species with a
forked tail, yet depressed forwards and compressed
behind. Of an uniform lead colour, nearly blue in
the young individuals and nearly brown in the old
ones. Barbs rather short and white, the upper ones
very short and brown. Iris elongate and whitish.
Fins bluish ; but the pectoral and abdominal whitish.
Spine of the pectoral fins equal in length, not fenes-
trate, and hardly serrate inside. Number of rays,
dorsal i and 6, pectoral i and 7, abdominal 6, caudal
22. A variety has a blackish tail. Vent posterior.

71st Species. White Catfish. Pimelodus pallidus.
Pimelode pale.

Upper jaw longer, lateral barbs reaching the pec-
toral fins. Eyes elliptical. Lateral line straight.
Body whitish, back slightly olivaceous. Tail nearly
equally forked. Anal fin elongate with 25 rays.

Sihirus pallidus. Monogr. sp. 2.

Vulgar names white and channel Catfish : this last
name is given to it because it dwells principally in

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 123

the channels or deeper parts of the river. Length
from one to two feet. Shape as in the foregoing.
Head smaller, olivaceous above. Barbs [II. 358]
white. Iris white. First dorsal fin nearer to the
abdominal fins, yellowish, rays i and 6. Pectorals
yellowish, rays i and 7. Abdominals white with six
rays. Adipose fin olive with a brown tip. Anal and
caudal pale brown, 24 rays in the tail, which has the
upper acute lobe slightly longer. It offers some
varieties, ist. Marginata. Tail fulvous, margin-
ated with black [<5^] 2d. Lateralis. With three
black spots on each side. 3d. Leucoptera. All the
fins pale and whitish.

72d Species. Silvery Catfish. Pimelodus argy-
rus. Pimelode argyre.

Jaws nearly equal, lateral barbs brown and reach-
ing the pectoral fins. Eyes elliptical. Body silvery,
lateral line straight. Fins brownish, anal with 25
rays. Tail equally forked.

Silurus argenteus. Monography, sp. 4. There is
another species of that name already.

A small and rare species, very similar to the fore-
going, of which it is perhaps a variety. Number of
rays similar.

2d Section. Leptops. Tail bilobed. Eyes round
and very small. Nine abdominal rays. Vent pos-
terior. Adipose fins large.

73d Species. Clammy Catfish. Pimelodus viscosus.
Pimelode visqueux.

Jaws nearly equal, barbs very short, eyes round
over the head. Body entirely brown, lateral line
raised upwards before. Pectoral fins with i and 7
rays, anal fin rounded with 15 rays. Tail unequally
bilobed and black, upper lobe smaller and white.

Silurus viscosus. Monogr. sp. 6

124 ICHTHYOLOGIA OH I EN SIS

A very singular and rare species, found at the
falls. Length only 4 inches, brown with bluish and
greyish shades, covered with a clammy viscosity;
throat whitish. Head very flat, with a longitudinal
furrow above, elongated; upper jaw hardly longer.
Eyes over the head very small and bluish. Spines
of the anterior fins short, thick, and simple. Dorsal
with I and 7 rays. Abdominal small with 9. Anal
blackish.

75th [i.e., 74th] Species. Clouded Catfish.
Pimelodiis nebiilosus. Pimelode nebuleux.

Jaws equal, barbs shorter than the head. Eyes
round, exceedingly small. Body olivaceous, clouded
with pale brown, [II. 359] white beneath, lateral line
nearly straight. Pectoral fins with i and 9 rays,
anal fin rounded with 12 rays. Tail merely notched,
hardly but equally bilobed.

Sihiriis nebulosiis. Monogr. sp. 5.

This species is totally different from the foregoing,
and might perhaps form a peculiar section or even
subgenus, {0- {65] pladelus) by the conical head, mem-
branaceous operculum; but particularly because the
first ray of all the fins, except the caudal and adipose,
is a kind of soft obtuse spine concealed under the
fleshy cover of the fins. It is a large fish, from two
to four feet long, and commonly called Yellow Cat,
Mud Cat, and Brown Cat ; but these names are com-
mon to other species. It is very good to eat, either
boiled or fried. Head conical depressed, iris redish
brown, eyes black, lateral barbs white, the lateral
ones brownish. Operculum with a large membrana-
ceous appendage or flap. Body conical tapering
behind. Dorsal fins with i and 6 rays. All the fins

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 125

very fat, thick, and somewhat redish, abdominal fins
brownish. Tail with 20 rays.

2d [i.e., 3d] Section. Ameiurus. Tail entire.
Eyes round. Eight abdominal rays. Vent posterior.
Dorsal fin anterior with a spine. Lower jaw not
longer. Pectoral fins, with one simple spine and
seven rays.

75th Species. Yellow Catfish. Pimelodus cupretis.
Pimelode cuivre.

Upper jaw longer, barbs half the length of the
head. Eyes round. Body entirely of a coppery
yellow colour. Lateral line straight. Tail truncate
entire. Anal with 15 rays.

Silurus cupreus. Monogr. sp. 9.

Vulgar name, Yellow Catfish. Very different from
the foregoing. Similar however in size and form.
Colour uniform, extending on the head and fins.
Spines short. It is found as far as Pittsburgh. Very
good to eat. Some have been taken weighing over
200 pounds. Dorsal fin with i and 7 rays.

76th Species. Brown Catfish. Pimelodus lividus.
Pimelode livide.

Jaws equal, barbs nearly equal together and as
long as the head. Eyes round. Body entirely of a
livid brown colour. [IL 360] Tail rounded entire.
Lateral line raised upwards at the base. Anal fin
elongate with 25 rays.

Silurus lividus. Monogr. sp. 7.

A small species, entirely of a leaden brown. Head
short, slightly olivaceous, throat pale. Barbs equal,
the upper ones livid, the lower ones rufous. A fur-
row on the head which is [(5(5] convex above. Oper-
culum flexuose. Tail with 24 rays. Dorsal with
one and 7. Spines short.

126 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

77th Species. Black Catfish. Pimclodns melas.
Pimelode noir.

Jaws nearly equal. Eyes round. Barbs unequal,
shorter than the head. Body entirely black, lateral
line straight. Anal fin with 20 rays. Tail nearly
truncate, entire.

Silurus melas. Monogr. sp. 8.

A rare species less than a foot long. Hardly pale
beneath. Dorsal fin i and 7. Found below the falls.

78th Species. Yellow head Catfish. Piviclodus
xanthocephahis. Pimelode xanthocephale.

Upper jaw longer. Barbs unequal shorter than
the head. Eyes round. Body iron grey, with the
whole or part of the head yellow. Belly white.
Lateral line straight. Anal fin with 22 ra3^s. Tail
entirely truncate.

Silurus xa?ithrocephalus. Monogr. sp. 10.

About a foot long. In the Ohio, Kentucky, &c.
Head very large, often entirely yellow, or only for-
ward, or covered with yellow patches. Iris white.
Fins fleshy redish. The dorsal with i and 6 rays,
caudal 24. Good food.

4th Section. Ilictis. Tail entire, eyes elliptical.
Nine abdominal rays. Dorsal fins submedial. Pec-
toral fins with one flat spine serrated outwards, and
nine rays. Lower jaw longer.

79th Species. Mud Catfish. Pwielodus limosus.
Pimelode bourbeux.

Lower jaw longer. Barbs black, the lateral ones
reaching the pectoral fins. Body fulvous, variegated
or clouded with black, belly grey. No lateral line.
Anal fin with 15 rays. Tail entire oval obtuse.

Silurus limosus. Monog. sp. 11.

[II. 36 1 j A very singular species, differing from

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 127

all others by the long- lower jaw, &c : Length about
one foot. It has a slender body of a rufous brown
mixed with black. It is found in the muddy streams,
and near the muddy banks of large rivers. Dorsal fin
opposite the abdominal, with one spine concealed
under the skin and six rays. Branchial membrane
apparent outside. Pecto- \6f\ ral fins with lo rays,
the first whereof is a long and broad flat spine, barbed
outwards. Tail with 20 rays. This fish can live
very long out of water, and is sometimes alive 24
hours after having been taken.

XXIII Genus. Mudcat. Pilodictis. Pylodicte.

Body scaleless conical flattened forwards and com-
pressed behind. Head very broad and flat, with
barbs, eyes above the head. Two dorsal fins, both
with soft rays. Vent posterior.

This genus was the loth of my Prod, of 70 N. G.
of Animals. The name means Mudfish. It differs
principally from the foregoing by the second dorsal
having rays.

80th Species. Toad Mudcat. Pylodictis limosus.
Pylodicte bourbeux.

Lower jaw longer, eyes round, eight barbs, four
above and four below. Head verrucose above.
Body brown, clouded and dotted with yellowish, red-
ish, and bluish, one row of transversal black lines on
each side of the back. No lateral line. Tail entire
and truncate.

I have not seen this fish, but describe it from a
drawing of Mr. Audubon. It is found in the lower
parts of the Ohio and the Mississippi, where it lives
on muddy bottoms, and buries itself in the mud in
the winter. It reaches sometimes the weight of 20

128 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

pounds. It bears the name of Mudcat, Mudfish,
Mudsucker, and Toadfish. It is good to eat and
bites at the hook. The head is broader than the
body and with a very large mouth ; the barbs appear
to lay in four pairs, two above, longer and near the
nostrils, and two smaller under the lower jaw. The
first dorsal fins triangular and above the abdominals,
which are nearer to the pectorals than to the anal.
Second elongate with many rays. Number of rays
unnoticed.

XXIV Genus. Backtail. Noturus. Noture.

Difference from G. Piniclodus, S. G. Ictahirus, and
Sect. [II. 362] Ajnemrus: Adipose dorsal fin very
long, decurrent and united with the tail, which is
decurrent on each side, but unconnected with the
anal fin.

Genus i8th of the Prodr. N. G. It differs from
the genus Plotosus of Lacepede by having the anal fin
free, and from Piuielodus by the connection of the tail
with the second dorsal \68'\ fin. The name means
Tail over the back. The Siliirus gyrinus of Mitchell
must belong to this genus.

8 1 st Species. Yellow Backtail. Noturus flavus.
Noture jaune.

Entirely yellowish. Upper jaw longer, barbs half
the length of the head. Eyes round. Lateral line
nearly straight. Anal fin with 14 rays. Tail entire
truncate.

A small species very common near the falls.
Length 4 to 12 inches. It agrees in almost every
thing with the Section Aniehirus among the Catfishes.
Vulgar name Yellow Catfish, like the Piuielodus
cupreus. Dorsal fin with i and 7 rays, rounded spine

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 129

very short and obtuse. Second dorsal beginning
before the anal and extending to the tail in a curve.
All the lower fins rounded. Pectorals with i and 7
raj^s, spine equal and acute. Abdominal fins with 8
rays. All the fins fleshy and fat. Head flat above,
barbs unequal. Belly convex. Hind part of the
body compressed.

XXV Genus. Toter. Hypentelium, Hypentele.

Body pyramidal slightly compressed, with very
minute scales. Vent posterior. Head scaleless near-
ly square, mouth terminal protruded beneath, tooth-
less, lower jaw shorter with five lobes, the middle
one larger, lips very small. Abdominal fins anterior,
removed from the vent, with nine rays, dorsal fin
anterior opposed to them.

This genus belongs to the family of Cyprinidia,
and is next to my genus Exoglossum, with which I
had united it; but this last differs from it by an
oblong body, flat head, lower lip trilobe not pro-
truded, abdominal fins and dorsal fin medial, &c.
The name expresses the character of the lower lip.

82d Species. Ohio Toter. Hypentelium macrop-
teruin. Hypentele macroptere.

Forehead sloping truncate tuberculated. Body
silvered, variegated, [H. 363] and reticulated with
blackish, lateral line straight and faint. All the
lower fins elongated, the pectorals reaching the ab-
dominals, the anal with 10 rays and reaching the
tail, dorsal fin with 12 rays, tail forked.

Exoglossum macropterum. Raf. in Journal Acad.
Nat. Sc. of Philad. Vol. i, page 320. tab. 17 fig. 4.

[6g] It is found near the falls and is only a small
fish 2 or 3 inches long. Its vulgar name is Toter or

130 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Stone-toter. (Toter is a Virginia name for carrier.)
There is a kind of Chub in Virginia which bears the
same name and has the habit of pushing pebbles with
its head in order to form an inclosure where the
female lays its eggs ; the name of Toter was given
to the Ohio fish owing to the same peculiarity. It
is a rare fish and used as bait. The mouth projects
in a short and obtuse snout. Iris large and gilt.
Opercule simple. Pectoral fins lanceolate acute, as
long as the head and with 12 rays. Abdominal fins
lanceolate acute, situated nearly half way between
the head and the vent, but not reaching it. Dorsal
fin trapezoidal. Anal fin elongate: Caudal fin with
20 rays.

[III. 165] XXVI Genus. Ribbonfish. Sarchirus.

Sarchire.

Body scaleless slender cylindrical, slightly com-
pressed. Vent posterior. Head nearly square.
Jaws elongated narrow flat, with four rows of small
unequal teeth, the lower one shorter and moveable,
the upper one longer immobile, with an obtuse knob
at the end. Pectoral fins round without rays, but
with a thin circular membrane surrounding an adipose
base. Abdominal fins anterior with six rays. Dorsal
fin posterior nearer to the tail than the anal. Caudal
fin lanceolate, decurrent beneath.

A very distinct genus of the family Esoxida, differ-
ing from all the genera of it by its fleshy pectoral fins :
It differs besides from Lepisosteus by the naked body,
and from Esox by the tail &c. The name means
fleshy arms.

83 Species. Ohio Ribbonfish. Sarchirus vittatus.
Sarchire rubanne.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 131

Back olivaceous brown, and with three longitudinal
furrows, a black lateral band from the mouth to the
end of the tail, no lateral line. Belly with a lateral
row of black dots on each side. Jaws obtuse longer
than the head. Anal and dorsal fins ovate acute
with two transverse black bands, the anal with ten
rays, the dorsal with nine. Tail unequilateral acu-
minate.

[III. i66] Sarchirus vittatus. Raf. in Journ. Ac.
Nat. Sc. Philadelphia, V. i, page 418, tab. 17. fig. 2.

In the lower parts of the Ohio and at the falls;
length from \j6\ six to twelve inches. Vulgar names
Ribbonfish and Garfish. Not used as food. Abdom-
inal fins narrow almost linear acute, and with two
transverse black bands, situated half way between
the pectoral and anal fins. This last far from the
tail.

XXVII Genus. Pike. Esox. Brochet.

Body cylindrical or very long covered with small
scales, vent posterior. One dorsal fin behind the
abdominal fins. Mouth large, jaws long and flat-
tened with very strong teeth : opening of the gills
very large. Head bony scaleless. Tail not obliqual.
All the fins with rays.

There are several species of Pikes in the Ohio,
Mississippi, Wabash, Kentucky, &c. I have not yet
been able to observe them thoroughly. I have
however procured correct accounts, and figures of two
species; but there are more. They appear to belong
to a peculiar subgenus distinguished by a long dor-
sal fin, a forked tail, and the abdominal fins anterior,
being removed from the vent. It may be called
Picorellus. The French settlers of the Wabash and

132 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Missouri call them Piconeau, and the American settlers
Pikes or Pickerels. They are permanent but rare
fishes, retiring however in deep waters in winter.
They prefer the large streams, are very voracious,
and grow to a large size. They prey on all the other
fishes except the Garfishes, &c. They are easily
taken with the hook, and afford a very good food,
having a delicate flesh.

84th Species. Streaked Pike. Esox vittatus.
Brochet raye.

White, with two blackish longitudinal streaks on
each side, back brownish: jaws nearly equal, very
obtuse, eyes large and behind the mouth : dorsal fins
longitudinal between the abdominal and anal fins:
tail forked.

E. vittatus. Raf. in American Monthly Magazine,
18 18, Volume 3, page 447.

This fish is rare in the Ohio, (although it has been
seen at Pittsburgh,) but more common in the Wabash
and Upper Mississippi. It is called Piconeau or Pica-
neau by the Canadians [III. 167] and Missourians.
It reaches the length of from three to five feet. The
pectoral and abdominal fins are trapezoidal, the anal
and dorsal longitudinal with many rays and nearly
equal. It is [7/] sometimes called Jack or Jackfish.
Lateral line straight.

85th Species. Salmon Pike. Esox salmoneus.
Brochet saumonne.

White, with many narrow transversal brown
bands, somewhat curved: jaws nearly equal, very
obtuse: dorsal fins brown longitudinal and extend-
ing over the anal fins: tail forked and brown.

It is one of the best fishes in the Ohio, its flesh is
very delicate, and divides easily, as in Salmon, into

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 133-

large plates as white as snow. It is called Salmon
Pike, White Pike, White Jack or White Pickerel,
and Picaneau blanc by the Missourians. It has a short
and thick head, eyes not very large, and situated
upwards. Pectoral and abdominal fins trapezoidal.
Dorsal fin beginning behind these last and extending
over the anal. The number of transversal bands is
twelve or more, rather distant and with the concav-
ity towards the head. It reaches the length of five
feet. Lateral line nearly straight.

XXVIII Genus. Garfish. Lepisosteus. Lepisoste

Body cylindrical or fusiform, covered with hard
bony scales, vent posterior. Head bony scaleless.
Jaws very long, and with strong unequal teeth.
Opening of the gills very large. Tail obliqual. All
the fins with rays. One dorsal fin behind the abdom-
inal fins which are removed from the vent.

The Garfishes or Gars, are easily known from the
Pikes by their large and hard scales. This fine genus
had been overlooked by Linneus and united with
the Pikes. Lacepede was the first to distinguish it;
but he has not been able to ascertain nor elucidate
its numerous species. He has blended all the North
American species under the name of Lepisosteus gavial,
the type of which was the Esox osseiis of Linneus, or
rather the Alligator fish of Catesby. I find that Dr.
Mitchill, in a late publication, describes another
species quite new under the obsolete name of Esox
osseus. I shall describe and distinguish accurately
five species living in the Ohio or Mississippi, which
must be divided into two subgenera. To this num-
ber [III. i68] must be added three other known
species, i. L. gavial, the Garfish or Alligator fish

134 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

of the Southern Atlantic States. 2. L. spatula or
the Gar of Chili. 3. L. indicus or the East Indian
[7^] Gar. I suspect however that there are more
than ten species of these fishes in the United States,
and many others in South America, &c. The Gars
of the Ohio partake of the inclinations and proper-
ties of the Pikes; but they are still more dangerous
and voracious. Their flesh may be eaten : but is
often rejected owing to the difficulty of skinning
them, the operation may however be performed by
splitting the skin beneath in zig-zag. Their scales
are very singular, they are not embricated as in all
other fishes; but lay over the skin in oblique rows,
and are as hard as bones. They have many other
peculiarities in common which have been stated
by Cuvier, or may be collected from the following
descriptions.

I Subgenus. Cylindrosteus.

Body cylindrical, dorsal fin beginning behind the
anal fin. The name means bony cylinder.

86th Species. Duckbill Garfish. Lepisosteus
platostomiis. Lepisoste platostome.

Jaws nearly equal, as long as the head, about one
ninth of total length, and flattened; body cylindrical
olivaceous brown above, white beneath: fins yellow-
ish, dorsal and anal spotted with eight rays, abdom-
inal fins with seven rays, tail obtuse oboval and
spotted with brown : lateral line nearly obsolete.

This species is not uncommon in the Ohio, Miami,
Scioto, Wabash, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee,
Cumberland, &c. and other tributary streams. It
reaches the length of four feet. It is taken with the
seine, the hook, and even with the gig or harpoon.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 135

It is found as far as Pittsburgh and in the Alleghany
River. Its flesh is as good as that of the Streaked
Pike ; but is erroneously thought poisonous by some
persons. I shall give a full description of it, which
will preclude the necessity of repetitions in describ-
ing the others. The individuals which I observed
were 26 inches long, the head 5^, the jaws 2^
inches : the dimension from the end of the jaws to
the abdominal fins was 12 inches, and to the vent 18.
The body was 2 inches horizontally and 234^ verti-
cally; nearly cylindrical, but slightly [III. 169] flat-
tened on the back and belly, with convex sides
slightly yellowish : the whole body is covered with
hard bony scales, some what unequal and obliquely
rhomboidal, but with the two inner [75] sides con-
cave and the two outward sides convex, lying in
oblique rows, surface smooth and convex. Head
scaleless, hard, and bony, eyes behind the base of
the jaws, iris large gilt with a brown stripe across,
centre or real eyes small and black. Jaws short,
broad, flat and obtuse, breadth about one fifth of the
length, the upper one putting over the lower one and
with four small nostrils at the end, motionless and
with three longitudinal furrows. The lower jaw
moveable, soft in the middle. Teeth white, unequal,
acute, strong, and upon a single row. Tongue bi-
lobed cartilaginous and rough. Branchial with 8
rays, jutting out and gilt. Pectoral fins yellow with
12 rays, situated directly behind the gill covers and
elliptical acute. Abdominal fins yellow, obliquely
oboval obtuse and with 7 rays. Anal and dorsal fins
oval nearly equal and acute, each with 8 rays the an-
terior of which is serrated, yellowish olivaceous and
spotted with brown, the dorsal beginning behind the

136 ICHTHYOLOGIA O HI ENS IS

beginning of the anal. Space between those fins and
the tail attenuated. Tail or caudal fin four inches
long, oblong oboval, entire obtuse, base obliqual, the
lower part decurrent, with twelve rays, the upper
one serrated, yellowish olivaceous spotted with small
unequal brown spots. Lateral line concealed under
the scales, hardly visible outside. This fish bears
(together with the following) the names of Gar, Gar-
fish, Alligator Gar, Alligator fish, Jack or Gar Pike,
&c. and on the Mississippi the French names of
Brocheteau, Picancajt, Poisson caymon, &c.

87th Species. White Garfish. Lepisosteus Albus.
Lepisoste blanc.

Jaws nearly equal, as long as the head, about
one eighth of total length, and very broad; body
cylindrical and white, fins olivaceous unspotted, tail
obtuse oblong, lateral line obsolete.

This fish resembles very much the foregoing, and
has the general shape of a Pike. It is covered all
over with white shining obliqual elliptical smooth
and convex scales. It reaches the length of six feet,
and is often called Garpike or Pike-gar. [III. 170]
It is a rare fish in the Ohio. Jaws shorter and
broader than in the foregoing, breadth one fourth of
the length.

88th Species. Ohio Garfish, Lepisosteus oxyurus.
Lepisoste oxyure.

\y4\ Upper jaw longer, longer than the head, one
sixth of total length, flat and narrow: body cylin-
drical olivaceous brown above, white beneath : dorsal
fin with eight rays, anal fin with ten, abdominal
with six, lanceolate acute, spotted with black ; lat-
eral line straight, but raised upwards at the base.

This is a very distinct species by the shape of the

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 137

jaws and tail. It is found in the Ohio; but is by no
means common. It reaches six feet in length. Its
flesh is not very good to eat, rather tough and strong
smelling, like that of some strong sturgeons. The
individual which I observed was caught at the falls,
and was 30 inches in length, with the upper jaw 5
inches long, while the lower jaw was only four
inches : The upper one has three furrows and juts
over the lower by a thick curved obtuse point with
four small openings or nostrils, although there were
two other oblong nostrils in obliqual furrows, at the
base before the eyes. This does not appear in L.
Platostonms. Lower jaw straight with a membrane
between the lateral lines. Teeth unequal straight
very sharp and on a single row. Breadth of the
jaws one eighth of the length. Iris large and gilt.
Head rough nearly square, covered with six broad
plates, two of which on each side, and of a fulvous
grey colour. Body cylindrical covered with the
usual hard scales in oblique rows ; but not two scales
exactly alike either in shape or size ; they are gen-
erally elongated obliquely with the two longest
lateral sides straight, the upper one concave and the
lower one convex, but these is a row of obcordated
ones on the back. All the fins fulvous, the pectoral
lanceolate acute with 12 rays, the abdominal lanceo-
late acute and with only 6 rays. Dorsal and anal
trapezoidal elongated, serrated by scaly rays anteri-
orly. Caudal fins with 12 rays, one sixth of total
length, covered with a few large black spots, of a
lanceolate shape, with an oblique flexuose base decur-
rent beneath and acute at the end, serrated both
upwards and downwards, and serratures extending
on the [III. 171] body. Lateral line not obsolete,

138 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

quite straight, but raised a little upwards at the base.

89th Species. Longbill Garfish. Lepisosteiis
longirostris. Lepisoste longirostre.

[75] Esox osseus. Mitchill in Amer, Monthl)^ Maga-
zine, Vol. 2, page 321.

Upper jaw longer than the lower and the head one
fourth of total length and narrow: body cylindrical,
dorsal and anal fins with 8 rays, abdominal fins with
6, tail unspotted nearly truncate, lateral line obsolete.

I have only seen the head of this fish, which was
taken in the Muskingum. It is evidently the same
fish described at length by Dr. Mitchill under the old
Linnean name of Esox osseus and found in Lake Onei-
da; although his description is very minute in some
respects, he has omitted to mention the colour of the
body, shape of the fins, and many other peculiarities.
I refer to his description, and shall merely add its
most striking discrepancies from the former species.
Length forty inches, upper jaw ten inches with two
crooked teeth at the end, lower jaw nine inches, teeth
of three sizes crowded on the jaws. Scales rhom-
boidal. Abdominal fins nearly medial. Tail with
12 rays, serrated above and below.

2d Subgenus. Atractosteus.

Body fusiform or spindle shaped, dorsal and anal
fins quite opposite. The name means bony spindle.

90th Species. Alligator Garfish. Lcpisosteus
ferox. Lepisoste feroce.

Jaws nearly equal, as long as the head, about one
eighth of total length and broad : body fusiform and
brownish; dorsal and anal fins opposite, tail obliqual
oval, lateral line obsolete.

This is a formidable fish living in the Mississippi,

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 139

principally in the lower parts, also in Lake Pontchar-
train, the Mobile, Red River, &c. It has been seen
sometimes in the lower parts of the Ohio. It reaches
the length of eight to twelve feet, and preys upon all
other fishes, even Gars and Alligators. Mr. John
D. Clifford told me that he saw one of them fight
with an alligator five feet long and succeed in de-
vouring him, after cutting him in two in its powerful
jaws. My description is made [III. 172] from a
sketch drawn by Mr. Clifford, and a jaw bone pre-
served in his Museum. These jaws are from twelve
to eighteen inches long, and from four to six inches
broad. They are crowded with teeth, unequally set,
not two of which are alike in size, [7^] the largest lie
towards the end, and have many small ones between
them : they are however all of the same structure,
implanted in sockets and conical, base grey, striated
and hollow, top white smooth, curved and very
sharp. The longest measure one and a half inch,
and are three quarters of an inch thick at the base.
The diameter of the body is nearly one sixth of the
total length. The anal and dorsal fins are small and
with few rays. It is called the Alligator fish or Alli-
gator gar, and by the Louisianians Poisson Cayman.
The scales are large, convex, and rhomboidal.

XXIX Genus. Diamond Fish. Litholepis.
Litholepe.

Body fusiform, covered with hard stony pentaedral
scales, vent nearly medial. Abdominal fin near the
vent. One dorsal fin opposite to the anal. Head
bony scaleless protruded anteriorly in a long snout,
mouth beneath the head, jaws not elongated, with
strong unequal teeth. Opening of the gills very

140 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

large. Tail not obliqual. All the fins with rays.

A very singular genus, which comes very near to
the last subgenus ; but differs by the snout, mouth,
tail, scales, &c. It must belong however to the
same family. The name means Stony scales.

91st Species, Devil- Jack Diamond-fish. Litho-
lepis adajuantimis. Litholepe adamantin.

Snout obtuse as long as the head; head one fourth
of total length ; body fusiform blackish : dorsal and
anal fins equal and with many rays: tail bilobed,
lateral line obsolete.

Litholepis adaniantinus. Raf. in American Monthly
Magazine, 18 18, Vol. 3, p. 447, and in Journal de
Physique et Hist. Nat. 70 N. G. d' Animaux, G. 20.

This may be reckoned the wonder of the Ohio.
It is only found as far up as the falls, and probably
lives also in the Mississippi. I have seen it, but
only at a distance, and have been shown some of its
singular scales. Wonderful stories are related con-
cerning this fish, but I have principally relied upon
[III. 173] the description and figure given me by Mr.
Audubon. Its length is from 4 to 10 feet. One was
caught which weighed 40olbs. It lies sometimes
asleep or motionless on the surface of the water, and
may be mistaken for a log or a snag. It is [yy']
impossible to take it in any other way than with the
seine or a very strong hook, the prongs of the gig
cannot pierce the scales, which are as hard as flint,
and also proof against lead balls! Its flesh is not
good to eat. It is a voracious fish. Its vulgar names
are Diamond-fish, (owing to its scales being cut like
diamonds,) Devil-fish, Jack-fish, Gar-jack, Devil-jack,
&c. The snout is large, convex above, very obtuse,
the eyes small and black, nostrils small round before

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 141

the eyes, transversal with large angular teeth. Pec-
toral and abdominal fi[n]s trapezoidal. Dorsal and
anal fin equal longitudinal with many rays. Tail
obtusely and regularly bilobed. The whole body
covered with large stony scales lying in oblique
rows, they are conical pentagonal and pentaedral
with equal sides, from half an inch to one inch in
diameter, brown at first, but becoming of the colour
of turtle shell when dry : they strike fire with steel,
and are ball proof !

142 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

[III. 244] THIRD PART.— APODIAL FISHES.

Having complete gills, with a gill cover and a
branchial membrane. No lower or ventral fins.

[HI. 245] XXX. Genus. Eel. Anguilla. Anguille.

Body scaleless, elongated. Mouth with small teeth.
Pectoral fins. Dorsal and anal fins very long and
united with the caudal fins. Vent nearly medial.
Gill covers bridled.

It is remarkable that there is only this apodial
genus of fish, and not a single jugular genus, in the
Ohio, while there are so many abdominal and tho-
racic genera. The Eels of the Ohio of which I have
already ascertained four species belong all to the
subgenus Conger, having the jaws nearly equal and
obtuse. They are permanent, but rare, and reach a
large size. They are taken with the hook, seines,
&c. They feed on small fishes, shells, and lobsters,
and afford a good food.

92d Species. Broadtail Eel. Anguilla laticauda.
Anguille largequeue.

Black above, white beneath, head flattened, jaws
nearly equal, the upper somewhat longer, obtuse
and broad. Dorsal fin beginning above the pectorals,
which are small and oboval: late- \y8'\ ral line begin-
ning before the pectorals; tail large rounded and
dilatated.

It is found in the Ohio in deep and muddy bot-
toms. Length from two to four feet. Forehead
sloping, eyes very small. Dorsal fin and tail black.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 143

One individual of this species poisoned once slightly
a whole family, causing violent colicks, which was
ascribed to its having been taken in the vitriolic
slate rocks of Silver creek near the falls.

93d Species. Black Eel. Anguilla aterrima. An-
guille noire.

Entirely black, jaws nearly equal, flat and obtuse:
dorsal fin beginning above the pectoral. Tail obtuse.

This species is found in the Tennessee, Cumber-
land, &c. It differs from the foregoing by being
totally black, and not having a broad tail. The body
is also somewhat rounded. It reaches the same
length. Very good to eat.

94th Species. Yellow-belly Eel. Anguilla xan-
thomelas, Anguille xanthromele.

Black above, yellow beneath, jaws nearly equal,
fiat and obtuse ; dorsal fin beginning over the pecto-
rals. Tail obtuse.

This species is also very much like A. laticauda;
but it has [III. 246] not the broad tail, the body is
thicker, the belly yellow and thick &c. It is found
but seldom as high as Pittsburgh. Length two or
three feet.

95th Species. Yellow Eel. Anguilla lutea.
Anguille jaune.

Body entirely yellowish; back slightly brownish;
throat pale : jaws nearly equal, obtuse, dorsal fin be-
ginning behind the pectorals : tail obtuse, marginated
with brown.

It is found in the Cumberland, Green River, Lick-
ing River, &c. Length commonly two feet, very
good to eat. The lateral line begins over the
pectorals, while the dorsal fin begins much behind
and pretty near the vent.

144 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

FOURTH PART.— ATELOSIAN FISHES.

Having incomplete gills, without a gill cover, or
a branchial membrane, or without both.

\yg\ XXXI. Genus. Sturgeon. Accipenser.
Eturgeon.

A gill cover without branchial membrane. Body
elongated with three or five rows of large bony
scales. Abdominal. Vent posterior. One dorsal
and one anal fin. Tail obliqual and unequal. Mouth
beneath the snout, toothless, retractible; snout
bearded by four appendages before the mouth.

A very interesting and extensive genus, inhabiting
all the large rivers of the northern hemisphere ; many
species are anadromic and live in the sea in the
winter. There are six species in the Ohio and its
branches, which appear very early in the spring, and
must therefore winter in the deep waters of the Mis-
sissippi. They are all good to eat and are used as
food. They are taken with the seines and harpoons.
They spawn in the Ohio, &c. Linneus, Lacepede,
Shaw, and Schneider knew very few species of this
genus. I have proved, in a Monography, that it
must contain about 40 species, of which I have ascer-
tained 20. Seven of them belong to the Old Conti-
nent; I. A. stnrio, Linneus. 2. A. huso, L. 3. ^.
ruthenus, L. 4. A. Stellatus, L. $. A. licJitensteini,
Schn. 6. A. liitcscens, Raf. 7. A. attilus, Raf . ;
while thirteen are peculiar to North America; 8. A.
atlanticus, Raf. (A. stnrio, Mitchill.J 9. A. oxyrin-

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 145

chusy Mitchill. lo. A. rubicundus, Lesueur. ii. A.
muricatus, Raf. [III. 247] (var.' prec. Lesueur.) 12.
A. margiiiatus, Raf. 13. A. brevirostruin, Les. (His
three varieties are probably distinct species.) 14. A.
hudsonius, Raf. ; besides the six following ones.

ist Subgenus. Sturio.

Five rows of scales on the body, one dorsal, two
lateral, and two abdominal.

96th Species. Spotted Sturgeon. Accipenser
maculosiis. Eturgeon tachete.

A. maadosus. Lesueur in Transactions of the
American Philosophical Society; New Series vol i,
page 393.

Head one fourth of total length channelled between
the eyes, which are oblong, snout elongated obtuse.
Body pentagonal olive, with black spots and small
asperities: 13 dorsal scales, lateral rows with 35
scales, abdominal rows with 10.

It is found in the Ohio as far as Pittsburgh. Size
small, not exceeding two feet. Mouth and pectoral
fins large. Scales \8o\ rugose, radiated, keeled and
spinescent behind. Iris yellow oblong. See Le-
sueur's description.

97th Species. Shovelfish Sturgeon. Accipenser
platoryjicJms. Eturgeon pelle.

Head one fifth of total length, flattened, snout flat
oval, hardly obtuse, rough above, eyes round. Body
pentagonal smooth, pale fulvous above, white be-
neath. Tail elongated mucronate: 16 dorsal scales,
lateral rows with 40, abdominal rows with 12.

A singular species, very common in the Ohio, Wa-
bash, and Cumberland in the spring and summer,
but seldom reaching as high as Pittsburgh. It ap-
pears in shoals in March, and disappears in August.

146 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

It is very good to eat and bears many names, such
as Spade-fish, Shovel-fish, Shovel-head, Flat-head,
Flat-nose, &c. having reference to the shape of its
head, which is flattened somewhat like a spade. It
is also found in the Mississippi and Missouri, where
the French call it La pelle or Poison pelle, which has
the same meaning. Size from two to three feet,
greatest weight 20 lb. Body rather slender, with
small bluish dots on the back and whitish on the
sides. Dorsal scales brownish, radiated, punctuated,
and spinescent. Lateral scales dimidiated, serrated
behind, the posterior smaller: the abdominal nearly
similar, hardly serrated. Two nostrils on each side
[III, 248] before the eyes, the posterior larger oblong
obliqual. Eyes round black, iris coppered. Mouth
with eight lobes and verrucose. Tail very long, one
fifth of total length, the upper lobe scaly above,
slender and with a long filiform terminal process.
All the fins trapezoidal, the dorsal falcated with 25
rays and nearly opposite to the anal. Pectoral large
45 rays. Abdominal 20. Anal 14. Tail, inferior
lobe 18, superior 60.

2d Subgenus. Sterletus.

Only three rows of scales, one dorsal and two lat-
eral.

98th vSpecies. Fall Sturgeon. Accipenscr scroti-
mus. Eturgeon tardif.

Head conical two ninths of total length, snout short
obtuse, eyes somewhat oblong. Body cylindrical
entirely fulvous brown, belly white. Tail short and
truncate obliquely. Dorsal scales 17, two of which
behind the dorsal fin, lateral rows with about 30
scales.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 147

[(?/] A large species reaching 5 and 6 feet in length.
It appears in June and disappears in November, but
is seldom caught, except in the fall, when attempting
to go down the river. It is sometimes caught in the
Kentucky as late as November. It affords a toler-
ably good food. Snout very short yet somewhat
attenuated, barbs brown, eyes nearly round, head
with a depression above, lips very thick. Scales
radiated knobby behind. Pectoral and anal fin some-
what oboval, the abdominal and dorsal trapezoidal.

99th Species. Ohio Sturgeon. Accipenser ohiensis.
Eturgeon de I'Ohio.

Head conical one fifth of total length, snout slop-
ing short nearly acute, eyes round. Body cylin-
drical rough olivaceous, fulvous, belly white. Tail
short lunulate falcate. Dorsal scales 14 carinated,
the lateral rows with 34 dimidiated and un[e]qual.

Somewhat similar to the foregoing. Length from
three to four feet. Found as far as Pittsburgh, comes
in the spring, and goes away in September. Head
convex above, with a protuberance on the top. All
the fins trapezoidal but somewhat falcate. The tail
remarkably so, and obliquely lunulate, the lobes not
divided by a notch as usual in the other species. It
has been [III. 249] mentioned by Lesueur as a
variety of his A. rubicundus, page 390 of the Trans.
Am. Phil. Society, but it differs widely from it.

looth Species. Bigmouth Sturgeon. Accipenser
macrostoinus. Eturgeon beant.

Head one fourth of total length, snout elongated,
somewhat flattened, eyes round. Body cylindrical
deep brown above, white beneath. Tail elongated;
about 20 dorsal scales, several between the dorsal
and anal fin, about 30 scales in each lateral row.

148 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

I have not seen this species, but Mr. Audubon
has communicated me a drawing of it. It is only
found in the lower parts of the Ohio, and reaches four
feet in length. Good food. Mouth large gaping,
hanging down, retractible. Gill cover oblong.
Tail slender, the lower lobe very small. Fins
trape- \^82\ zoidal, the dorsal and anal somewhat fal-
cated and more distant from the tail than usual.
Lateral scales dimidiated.

XXXII Genus. Double fin. Dinectus. Dinecte.

Differs from "Sturgeon, by having two dorsal and
no abdominal fins. First dorsal anterior, the second
opposed to the anal. Three rows of scales as in
SterlctHs.

This genus rests altogether upon the authority of
Mr. Audubon, who has presented me a drawing of
the only species belonging to it. It appears very
distinct if his drawing be correct ; but it requires to
be examined again. Is it only a Sturgeon incor-
rectly drawn?

loist Species. Flatnose Doublefin. Dinectus
truncatus. Dinecte camus.

Head one fifth of total length, conical, snout very
short truncated, eyes round. Body cylindrical deep
brown above, silvery white beneath, tail elongated:
dorsal scales, 4 before the first dorsal fin, 6 between
the fins, and 4 behind the second, lateral rows with
about 30 small dimidiated scales.

This fish was taken with the seine near Henderson-
ville in the spring of 18 18 by Mr. Audubon. Length
two feet, skin very thick and leathery. Mouth very
large and hanging down as in the foregoing, some-
what like a proboscis. Pectoral and anal fins

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 149

trapezoidal, dorsal fins nearly triangular, the first
larg- [III. 250] er and standing immediately behind
the pectoral. Gill cover rounded. Tail somewhat
forked, the upper lobe thrice as long as the lower.
Four long white barbs, very near the end of the
snout, eyes above the mouth.

XXXIII Genus. Spadep'ISH. Polyodon. Polyodon.

Differs from Sturgeon, by having a transversal
mouth with teeth, no barbs and no scales. Snout
protruded in a long flat process, gill cover elongated
by a membra[na]ceous appendage.

This singular genus was first described by Lace-
pede. It belongs to the family of Sturionia, along
with the two foregoing and the following. Only one
species is known as yet.

I02d Species. Western Spadefish. Polyodon
folium. Polyodon feuille.

Head longer than the body, snout as long as the
head, cunei- \_8j'\ form obtuse thin and veined with
one main nerve. Brown above, white beneath.

Squalus s/)athula'La.CQ-^. Poiss. i, p. 403, tab. 12, fig. 3.

Polyodon folium Lacep. and Auct. mod.

Spatularia. Schneider's Ichthyology.

This singular fish has often been described and
figured, but I have not seen a single figure of it
perfectly correct. It is a rare fish, occasionally seen
in the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, &c. It disappears
in winter. I saw several at the falls in September
18 1 8. It is caught in the seines and sometimes bites
at the hook. It is not eaten. Length from one to
three feet. I shall add an exact description of it.
An oblong redish spot at the base of the snout, which
is brown and membranaceous, with a thick cartila-
ginous nerve in the middle and many veins, broader

150 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

and obtuse at the end. Eyes round small black, be-
fore the mouth, a small nostril in front of them.
Mouth large, similar to that of a shark, with small
crowded teeth on the jaws and the tongue, this is
large thick and similar to a file. Gill cover very
long membranaceous reaching the abdominal fins.
A lateral line following the curve of the back. All
the fins brown, nearly rhomboidal, with an obliqual
redish band, and a multitude of small crowded rays,
inserted on a thick fleshy lump : the dorsal fin larger
and rather more anterior than the anal. Tail very
obliqual, serrated above: lobes not very differ- [III.
251] ent in size, but extremely in shape and situation,
the lower one broader, shorter, and nearly triangular.

XXXIV Genus. Paddlefish. Planirostra.
Planirostre.

Differs from Polyodon, by having no teeth whatever
and the gill-cover radiated with a short appendage.

By the want of teeth this genus is intermediate be-
tween Polyodon and Accipcnser. It was first described
by Lesueur, under the name of Platirostra (by
mistake) instead of Planirostra. I had called it in
manuscript Megarhinus paradoxus.

103d Species. Toothless Paddlefish. Plani-
7iostra edcntula. Planirostre edente.

Head as long as the body, snout longer than the
head, somewhat cuneiform, obtuse, and thin, with
two longitudinal nerves [c?^] and reticulated veins
forming an hexagonal network. Body entirely olive
brown.

Platinostra edentula, Lesueur in Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc.
Philadelphia, Volume i, page 229.

This fish is still more rare than the foregoing, but

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 151

found occasionally as far as Pittsburgh. It is larger,
reaching from 3 to 5 feet and 5olbs weight. Not
very good to eat. It has been so fully described by
Lesueur, that I need not do it again. The individ-
ual which I saw was 40 inches long, head 20 inches,
snout 1 1 inches long and 2^ wide at the end, hardly
cun[e]iform. Eyes exceedingly small and round.
Gill cover oval radiated as in the Sturgeons, with a
short membranaceous flap, reaching only beyond the
pectoral fins, &c. It is also called, along with the
foregoing, Oar fish and Spatula fish.

XXXV Genus. Lamprey. Petromyzon. Lamproie.

Body cylindrical scaleless, vent posterior. Two
dorsal fins and a caudal fin, no other fins. Seven
branchial round holes on each side of the neck.
Mouth terminal inferior acutiform, toothed.

There are two or three species of Lampreys in the
Ohio; but they are very scarce and I have only seen
one as yet.

104th Species. Black Lamprey. Petromyzon ni-
grum. Lamproie noire.

Entirely blackish, tail oval acute, second dorsal
over the vent, several rows of teeth.

[III. 252] A very small species, from four to five
inches long; it is found as high as Pittsburgh. Dor-
sal fins shallow, and distant from each other and the
tail. Eyes round and large. Branchial holes small.
No lateral line. Mouth oval, teeth white and yel-
low. It torments sometimes the Buffaloe fish and
Sturgeons, upon which it fastens itself. It is never
found in sufficient quantity to be used as food.

End of the Fishes.

152 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

\S5'\ Supplement

The Ichthyology of the River Ohio was begun to
be printed in the Western Review in December 1819,
and has been continued gradually until November
1820. During the course of the impression some
new species have been discovered, or ascertained,
which I now propose to notice.

THORACIC FISHES.
XXXVI Genus. Springfish. Pegedictis. Pegedicte.

Body conical with small scales, belly flat, vent
medial. Head broad scaleless, gill cover with a
membranaceous appendage and a concealed spine,
mouth toothed. Two dorsal fins, the first with
simple, soft, semi-spinescent rays. Thoracic fins
with five rays.

This new genus belongs to the family Percidia, and
has many affinities with the G. Holocentriis Lepomis,
Etheostonia, &c. but its conical form and many other
secondary peculiarities distinguish it completely.
The name means Fountain-fish.

105th Species. Catseye Springfish. Pegedictis
ictalops. Pegedicte aeuil de chat.

Jaws equal, forehead knobby, eyes elliptical.
Body olivaceous with some black transversal unequal
brown bands; a concealed spine on the gill cover:
lateral line straight: tail elliptical. The first dorsal
fin with 8 rays, the second with 12, as well as the
anal and pectoral fins.

I have discovered this species in the summer of

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 153

1820 near Lexington, It lias no vulgar name.
Length hardly two inches. Head large brown, con-
vex above with several small knobs on the forehead,
flat beneath. Eyes as in the Catfishes with oblong
eyes, iris gilt brown. Spine of the gill cover
concealed under the skin. Teeth small and acute.
Pectoral fins large lanceolate. Belly white and flat.
Fins hyalin with some brown spots. Five transversal
bands. The specific name means Catseye.

9th Genus. Etheostoma.

io6th Species. Springs Hogfish. Etheostoma
fontinalis. Etheostome des fontaines.

Body oblong cylindrical, breadth one sixth of the
length, olivaceous, sides with transversal brown
lines somewhat curved: a small round black spot
behind the gill cover; lateral line obsolete. Jaws
obtuse, the upper one shorter. Tail oboval entire
gilt tesselated with black. First dorsal with 8 rays,
the second and anal with 12.

A little species, from one to two inches long, found
in the springs and caves near Lexington in the sum-
mer. It belongs to the subgenus Diplesion. Body
cylindrical somewhat compressed. Head small flat
above : gill cover attenuated behind \86'\ obtuse and
with a spine. Eyes small, iris gilt. Dorsal fins
joining, the first with spiny rays appendiculated,
second with soft rays, anal fin opposed to it and with
two spiny rays. Pectoral lanceolate with 12 rays,
thoracic lanceolate with 6. Vent anterior.

ABDOMINAL FISHES.
17th Genus. Semotilus.
107th Species. Silverspotted Chubby. Semoti-
lus? notatus. Semotile tache.

164 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Breadth one sixth of the length, brownish, pale
beneath ; head small obtuse with a large silver spot
on the forehead before the eyes, jaws nearly equal ;
dorsal fin opposed to the anal, tail oboval entire.

It is found in the Cumberland River, and the Little
River, a branch of it. Communicated by Mr. Wil-
kins. It is rather doubtful whether it belongs to
this genus, or Minnilus, Riitilns, &c. It might per-
haps be found to constitute a peculiar one by the
small mouth without lips, and the posterior dorsal
fin. Vent posterior. Pectoral and abdominal fins
oboval. Eyes large. Length three inches, good
bait for Perch, Bass, Redeyes or Ringeyes, &c.

26th Genus. Sarchirus.

io8th Species. Silver Ribbonfish. Sarchirus?
argent ens. Sarchire argente.

Entirely silvery, without bands or spots.

Communicated by Mr. Owings. It is found in
Licking River, Slate Creek, &c. Length from two
to three feet. It is called Pike and may be one, but
as it is described without scales and very slender,
I have added it to this genus, until it is better
known.

ATELOSIAN FISHES.

31st G. ACCIPENSER.

109th Species. Gourdfish Sturgeon. Accipenser
lagenarius. Eturgeon gourde.

Snout attenuated obtuse like a gourd, body entirely
brown.

A species of Sturgeon which I have never seen,
is said to live in the Ohio, which is called Gourdfish
owing to its head having the shape of a gourd, of

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 155

which the snout represents the neck. It reaches two
and three feet in length.

XXXVII Genus. Sawfish. Pristis. Poisson-Scie.

Abdominal, with five branchial spiracles on each
side, body cylindrical, tail obliqual, head protruded
in a long saw.

This genus belongs to the family of Sharks or
Antacea.

I loth Species. Mississippi Sawfish. Pristis Mis-
sissippiensis. Poisson-Scie du Mississippi.

Saw thicker in the middle where it has two longi-
tudinal furrows; margin somewhat sinuated with
transversal depressions, 26 long and narrow acute
teeth on each side, alternating with {8f\ the depres-
sions : extremity of the saw rounded nearly truncate,
with a raised granular margin reflected upwards.

I have only seen the saw of this fish, which is
preserved in Mr. Clifford's museum. It is six and a
half inches long, and one broad, olivaceous above,
pale beneath, middle part raised but flat. Teeth half
an inch long, shorter and more distant near the base,
26 on the right and 27 on the left, nearly equal.
This fish is found in the Mississippi, Lake Pontchar-
train. Red River, Arkansas, Mobile, and has even
been seen in the Ohio, length from three to six feet.

XXXVIII Genus. Hornfish: Proceros. Proceros.

Apodal. Body elongated. Vent posterior. One
dorsal fin opposed to the anal. Mouth beneath trans-
versal toothed. Snout protruded in a straight horn.
Four spiracles or branchias on each side.

Singular new genus of the family of Sharks or
Antacea, from which however it differs by the want of

156 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

abdominal fins. There are two species of it: the
second, which I have called Proceros vittatus, lives in
Lake Ontario, and has longitudinal stripes.

1 1 ith Species. Spotted Hornfish. Proceros ma-
culaUis. Proceros tachete.

Iron gray with white spots on the sides: tail
forked: horn one fourth of total length.

This fish lives in the Mississippi, and is sometimes
caught at St. Genevieve in the State of Missouri.
The French settlers call it Poisson arme. It has no
scales, but its head is bony: Eyes very small. Dor-
sal and anal fins rounded. Length two or three

feet, very good to eat. Communicated by Mr. M

of St. Genevieve.

Several imperfect and incorrect notices or Cata-
logues of fishes living in the western waters have
been published. Carver and Pike have noticed those
of the Upper Mississippi, Curtis those of Red River,
Pike those of the Arkansas and Osage rivers, Thomas
those of the Wabash, and Lewis and Clarke those of
the Missouri; but very few practical facts can be
collected from their imperfect accounts, except per-
haps from the two latter travellers. I may at a future
period notice the new fishes of the Missouri, discov-
ered by Lewis and Clarke. I shall at present merely
add some facts lately ascertained or drawn from
Thomas's account of the fishes of the River Wabash,
page 211 of his travels published in 1819.

2d Sp. Perca chrysops, is found in the Wabash, and
called Rock-mullet, it reaches three feet in length
and fifteen pounds in weight. This fish will not
bite at the hook, unless when it is withdrawn, it then
darts on it.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 157

4th Sp. Amblodon grunniens. It is sometimes
called Drum in the Wabash.

\^88^^ 14th Sp. Lepomis flexuolaris. Mr. Wilkins has
informed me that this fish watches over its spawn,
and prevents any small fish from coming near it:
while thus employed it will not bite at the hook, but
endeavours to drive away the bait. It is common in
all the tributary streams of the Ohio, also in the
Arkansas, Osage, Missouri, &c.

19th Sp. Aplocentrus calliops. Found in the Cum-
berland, Tennessee, Little River, &c. and called
Redeyes or Ringeyes.

63d Sp. Catostomus erythrurus. In the Wabash,
weighing as far as 1 5 pounds.

71st Sp. Pinielodus pallidtis. It is called Wal-heu or
Deep water fish by the Lenape Indians. The other
Catfishes are generally called Wi-sa-meek by the same
Indians, which means Fat fish. The names of Pout
and Bullheads are given to some species in the
Wabash, Miami, Mississippi, &c. The French settlers
call them Barbottes.

84th Sp. Esox vittatus. Thomas mentions three
kinds of Pikes found in the Wabash, i, River Pike,
2. Pond Pike, slim, three feet long, excellent, 3. Jack
Pike or Pickerel, excellent, weighing from $ to
2olbs.

89th Species. Lepisosteus longirostris. Common in
the Wabash, called Gar or Billfish, two feet long and
quite slim ; bill six inches and pointed. It is a strong
fish. Thomas says that, having caught them in his
hands, he was unable to hold them.

168 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Corrections and Additions

Some trivial errors or omissions of the press have
occurred, which may be easily detected ; but the fol-
lowing, being more important, deserve correction.

Page 15, line 5, Pittsburgh had only 8000 inhabit-
ants by the census of 1820, and Cincinnati about 9000.

Page 19, 1. 22. The Cumberland has a fine fall
in Kentucky near Monticello.

Page 21. Perca salmonea add Raf. 1818 in Amer.
Month. Mag. V. 3, p. 354

Page 29, 1. I, Enythrops read ErytJirops.

Page 34, 1. 17, add Bodianus ca/liops, Raf. 18 18,
Am M Mag V 3, p 457.

Page 38, 1. 4, add Sciena caprodes, Raf. 18 18 in Am
M Mag 3, p 334.

Page 40, 1. 2, add Clupea hetcrurus, Raf. 18 18, in
Am M Mag 3, P 35 5

Page 42, 1. 18, add Glossodon heterurtis, Raf. in
Am M Mag 3, p 354.

Page 43, 1. 2, add Glossodon Jiarengoides, Raf. in
Am M Mag 3, p 354.

Page 43, 1. 35, Hyodon Clodaliis read Hyodon ter-
gisus.

Page 45, 1. 28, Minidus read Minnilus.

Page 49, 1. 35, Senotilus read Sejiiotiliis

Page 50, 1. 10, Diplcniia read Diplcmius.

Page 52, 1. 27, Flat-head XQa.d Fat-head.

Page 55,1. 21, add Raf. 18 18, in American Monthly
Mag. 3, p 355.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 159

Page 59, 1. 5, add Raf. 18 18 in American Monthly-
Magazine, 3 P 355-
Page 62, 1. 21, add Silurus punctatus, Raf. 18 18 in
Am M Mag 3, p 355.

Page 64, 1. 36, add Silurus olivaris, Raf 18 18 in
Am M Mag 3 p 355.

Page TT, add to Angiiilla laticauda, Raf 18 18 in
Am M Mag 3 p 447.

160

ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

{.Sg\ INDEX
of Scientific Names

INDEX

of American Names

*Accipenser

Genus

31-

Arablodon 2.

A nibloplites .

5-

Ameiurus . .

22.

Amphiodon .

13.

*Anguilla .

• 30

Aplites . . .

5-

Aplcsion . .

9-

Aplocentrus

7-

Aplodinotiis .

2.

Atractostcus .

18.

Calliurus . .

3-

Car pi odes . .

20.

^Catostomus.

20.

Chrosomus . .

16.

Clodalus . . .

13-

Cycleptus , .

21.

Cylindrostcus

28.

Dinectus . .

32.

Dioplites . .

5.

Dip lesion . .

9-

Dorosoma .

1 1.

Decactylus

20.

Elliops . . .

22.

*Esox . . .

27.

Alligator fish

Species 86,

Backtail . .

90.
Genus 24.

Baitfish . .
Barbot . . .

Sp. 47, &c.
. . . . 20.

Barbette . .

. . G. 22.

BassSp.2,3, 12, 13, 14, &c.

Billfish Sp. 89.

Blackears 11.

Blackhead .

. ... 52.

Bluefish . .

. . . 7, 8.

Bubbler . .

. . . . 4.

Buffaloe fish

• . 55- 56.

Carp ....
Catfish . . .

53, 54, 57.
. . G. 22.

Chub . . Sp
Diamondfish

•39, 40, 41.
. . G. 29.

Eel ....
Fallfish . .

. ... 30.

. ... 18.

Fantail . . .

. . Sp. 22.

Fat-head . .

. , G. 19.

Garfish . .

. ... 28.

Gizzard . .

. . . .11.

Goldeyes . .
Gold herring

. . Sp. 2.
. . G. 12.

Goldhead

. . Sp. 40.

REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXI

161

Etheostoma
Eurystovius
Exoglossum
Glossodon .
*Hyodon ,
Hypentelium
Ictalurus .
Ichthelis .
Ictiobus . .
^Labrus
Lepibevia .
*Lepisosteus
Lepomis .
Leptops . .
Litholepis
\c6\ Luxilus
Minnilus .
Moxostovia
Nemocainpsis
Notemigonus
Noturus .
Pegedictis
*Perca . ,
*Petromyzon
*Pimelodus
Pimephales
*Planirostra
Pogostoma
Polyodon
Pomolobus
Pomotis . .
Pomoxis .
*Pristis . .
Proceros .

Genus

9-

Goldring . .

G. 18.

20.

Goldshad

.

. . 10.

25.

Herring . .

Sp. 2

8-33.

^3-

Hogfish . .

. G. 9.

13-

Hornfish . .

.

. . 38.

25.

Jack Sp. 84

86,

91, &c.

22.

Lamprey

. .

G. 35.

4-

Minnies or M

innowsG. 15,

20,

Sp.

21, &c.

4.

Mudcat . .

.Sp

. 79. 80

2.

Qi2iil-blanc . .

,

. . 20.

28.

Paddlefish

G. 34.

5-

Painted tail

.

. Sp. 5.

22.

Perch . . 2

, 3. 4»

13, 18.

29.

Piconcau .

• • 55-

16.

Pike . .

G. 27.

15-

Poisson arme

.

G. 38.

20.

Poisson cayman .

. . 28.

5.

Poisson lunette.

. . 20.

12.

Pucker

. . 22.

24.

Redbelly

Sp. 11.

36.

Redeyes .

. 9, 19.

I,

Redfish .

50, 51.

35-

Red horse |
Red tail )

. . 63.

22.

19.

Ribbonfish

G. 26.

34-

Salmon .

. Sp. I.

8.

Sawfish .

G. n.

33-

Shad . .

Sp.

26, 27.

10.

Shiner . .

G. 16.

4-

Skimback

. Sp.

43, 58.

6.

Silverfish

46, &c.

37-

Shovelfish

G. 33.

38.

Springsfish

. . 36.

162

ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Sturgeon 31.

Sucker 20

Suckrel 21.

Sunfish Sp. 6 to 12, 20.

Toadfish 80.

Toter G. 25.

Trout . . Sp. 15, 34, 35.
Whiteyes 20.

names with asterisks are old generic
names : those in italics are new subgenera, or French
names in the second column.

Pylodictis

23-

Rutilus

18.

*Salmo

14.

Sarchirus

26.

Semotilus

. 17.

*Scie7ia . .

2.

Sterletiis .

31-

Stizostedion

I.

Sturio . .

• 31-

Telipomis .

4.

Teretulus .

20.

N. B. Ti

le

nan

les

. wit

Bibliographia Ichthyologia

Bibliography

The publications by Rafinesque relating to fishes
are widely scattered both in point of time and place.
They began in the year 1810, at Palermo, Sicily, and
ended at Philadelphia, in 1832. His published work
comprises thirty- three titles, some of which are exten-
sive contributions to ichthyology. Others of the
titles herein listed are very brief notes, and have little
value other than to serve as an index to the constant
activity of the mind of this remarkable man. Rafi-
nesque never quite abandoned his early love, though
most of his published work on fishes dates about the
years 18 18 to 1823. For the rest he was occupied
with botanical and other pursuits.

The list which follows is believed to comprise all
the works, and parts of works, issued by Rafinesque,
which have any relation to ichthyology.

1. Caratteri ] di alcuni nuovi generi | e nuovi
specie | di animali | e piante della Sicilia | con varie

osservazioni sopra i medesimi. ] | Opuscolo |

del Sig. C. S. Rafinesque Schmaltz | | Palermo

1 8 10. Per le stampe di Sanfilippo. | | Con Ap-

provazione. | 8vo, pp. (4) 1-105, xx pll. {yy figures).
Dated "Palermo, Aprile i, 18 10."

Notice of, and extracts from, this work may be found in IsiSy
Band 22, Heft 5, pp. 534- 53S (Leipzig, 1829).

2. Indice | d'lttiologia Siciliana ( ossia | Catalogo
Metodico dei Nomi Latini I Italiani, e Siciliani dei

166 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Pesci, che | si Rinvengono in Sicilia [ Disposti | Se-
condo un Metodo Naturale | eseguito | da un Appen-
dice che contiene la Descrizione | di alcuni nuovi

Pesci Siciliani | Illustrate da due Piance. | |

Opuscule del Signore | C. S. Rafinesque Schmaltz

1 I Messina | Presso Giovanni del Nobolo |

Con Approvazzione | 1810. | | 8vo, pp. 1-70,

2 pll.

3. Principes Fondamentaux | de | Somiologie |
ou ( les loix de la nomenclature et de la | classifica-
tion de I'empire organique | ou des animaux et des
vegetaux | contenant les Regies essentielles de I'Art,
de leur | imposer des noms immuables et de les |
classer m6thodiquement | par C. S. Rafinesque-

Schmaltz. | | Palerme | | De I'lmprimerie

de Franc. Abate, | aux depensdel'Auteur. | 18 14. |
8vo, pp. 50+.

4. Precis | des Decouvertes et Travaux | Somio-
logiques | de Mr. C. S. Rafinesque-Schmaltz. | entre
1800 et 18 14 I Ou choix raisonn6 de ses principales
Decouvertes | en Zoologie et en Botanique, pour ser-

vir I d'introductionases ouvrages | futurs | | De

Linne le genie il a choisi pour guide. | | Pa-
lerme I Royale Typographic Militaire. | 18 14. | Aux
depens de I'Auteur. | 24mo, pp. 1-55.

5. Specchio delle scienze | o [ giornale enciclope-
dico di Sicilia | deposit© letterario | delle moderne
cognizioni, scoperte, ed osservazioni | sopra le scienze
ed arti | E. particolarmente sopra la Fisica, la Chi-
mica, la | Storia Naturale, la Botanica, I'Agricoltura,
la Me- I dicina, il Commercio, la Legislazione, I'Edu-

ca- I zione ec. | | Tomo primo | prima annata e

primo semestre. | Instruire utilement, est le but ou

BIBLIOGRAPHY 167

j'aspire. | | Palermo | Delia Tipografia di Fran-
cesco Abate Qm. Domenico. | 1814. | Large 8vo, pp.
I -216, 2 pU.

In the first number of the first volume of this rare work, Rafi-
nesque has, under date of " i Gennaro 1814," a single paper on
fishes. The title is " Descrizione d'un nuovo genere di Pesce. Lep-
topus peregrinus " (no. i., pp. 16, 17). In number x., which forms
a portion of the second volume, there are two titles which relate to
fishes, as follows: " Osservazioni sopra le migrazioni dei Pesci," pp.
97-100; "Descrizione di un Nuovo Genere di Pesce Siciliano.
NeTnochiriiS eryt/tropterus," pp. 100-102.

6. Analyse | de la Nature | ou | Tableau de L'U-

nivers [ et | des Corps Organises | | par C. S.

Rafinesque | De I'lnstitut des Sciences naturelles de
Naples, et | de la Societe Italienne des Sciences et

des arts. | | La Nature est mon guide, et Lin-

neus mon maitre. | | Palerme | 181 5. [ |

Aux depens de I'Auteur. | 8vo, pp. 1-224.

7. Museum of Natural Sciences. By C. S. Rafi-
nesque, Esquire. 4. Dissertation on Water Snakes,
Sea Snakes and Sea Serpents. {American Monthly
Magazine atid Critical Review, vol, i., no. 6, pp. 431 —
435; New York, 18 17. Reprinted, with same title,
in The Philosophical Magazine and Journal, vol. liii.,
pp. 411, 412; London, 1819.)

This paper describes Atigziilla gig as, an imaginary form.

8. 14. First Decade of new North- American

Fishes. {American Monthly Magazine and Critical
Review, vol. ii., no. 2, pp. 120, 121; New York,
1817.)

9. 15. Introduction to the Ichthyology of the

United States. {Ibid., vol. ii., no. 3, pp. 202, 203;
18 18.)

10. 16. Descriptions of two new genera of

168 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

North American Fishes, Opsanus and Notropis.
{Ibid., vol. ii., no. 3, pp. 203, 204; 1818.)

1 1. 17. Second Decade of new North-Ameri-
can Fishes. {Ibid., vol. ii., no. 3, pp. 204-206; 18 18.)

12. Discoveries in Natural History, made during
a Journey through the Western Region of the United
States. {Ibid., vol. iii., no. 5, pp. 354-356; 1818.)

This is a letter to Samuel L. Mitchill, President, and the other
members of the New York Lyceum of Natural History, dated from
Louisville, Kentucky, July 20, i8r8. It names thirteen genera and
twenty-six species of fishes, using provisional names which were
afterward, in some instances, changed.

13. Museum of Natural History, Further Dis-
coveries in Natural History, made during a Journey
through the Western Region of the United States.
{Ibid., vol. iii., no. 6, pp. 445-447; 1818.)

This title adds eight genera and twenty-two species to the list
published in the preceding title.

14. Discoveries in Natural History made during
a journey through the Western Region of the United
States. {Ibid., vol. iv., no. i, pp. 39-42; 1818.)

Tnis paper describes both the genus and species following:
Pomoxis annularis, Noturus flavus and Sarchirus vittatus.

15. General Account of the Discoveries made in
the Zoology of the Western States in 1818. {Ibid.,
vol. iv., no. 2, p. 107; 18 1 8.)

16. Description of a New Genus of North Ameri-
can Fresh- water Fish, Exoglossum. {American J oitr-
nal of Science, ist series, vol. i., pp. 155, 156; New
York, 1818.)

This paper describes Exoglossum vittatu7n and Exoglossum
annulatum.

17. Description of three new genera of fluviatile

BIBLIOGRAPHY 169

Fish, Pomoxis, Sarchirus, and Exoglossum. By C.
S. Rafinesque. Read Dec. ist, and 8th. {Journal
Academy of Natural Sciences, vol, i., part ii., pp. 417-
422, I pi.; Philadelphia, 1818.)

This paper describes Pomoxis annularis, Sarchirus vittatus,
Exoglossum macropterum, Exoglossum annulatum, Exoglossum
nigrescens, and Exoglossum lesurianum,

18. Prodrome de 70 nouveaux Genres D'Animaux
d^couverts dans rint^rienr des Etats-Unis D'Ame-
rique, durant I'annee 18 18. {Jour, de Physique, de
Cheviie et D' Histoire Naturelle, et des Arts, etc., tome
88, pp. 417-429; Paris, 1819. See also, /s-/.y, Littera-
risc/ier An:3ei^er, -pp. 22,6-244; Leipzig, 1820.)

This paper has notice of fifteen genera and adds to the previous
lists seventeen species.

19. Natural History of the Fishes of the Ohio
River and its Tributary Streams. By C. S. Rafi-
nesque. Introduction. River Ohio. {Western Re-
view and Miscellaneous Magazine, vol. i. , pp. 305 -313;
December, 18 19.)

20. Description of the River Ohio [con-
cluded]. Fishes of the Ohio. {Ibid., vol. i,, pp. 361 -
377; January, 1820.)

21. Fishes of the River Ohio [continued].

{Ibid., vol. ii., pp. 49-57; February, 1820.)

22. {Ibid., vol. ii., pp. 169- 177; April,

1820.)

23. {Ibid., vol. ii., pp. 235-242; May,

1820.)

24. {Ibid., vol. ii., pp. 299-307; June,

1820.)

2 5 . {Ibid. , vol. ii. , pp. 3 5 5 - 363 ; July,

1820.)

170 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

26. {Ibid., vol. iii., pp. 165-173; Oc-
tober, 1820.)

27. {Ibid., vol. iii., pp. 244-252; No-
vember, 1820.)

28. Ichthyologia Ohiensis | or | Natural History |
of I the Fishes Inhabiting the | River Ohio | and its
Tributary Streams, | Preceded by a physical descrip-
tion of the Ohio and its branches. | By C. S. Rafi-
nesque, | . . . . | Lexington, Kentucky. | Printed
for the Author by W. G. Hunt, (price one dollar.)

I I 1820. I (One volume, 8vo, pp. 1-90.)

The several preceding titles which are credited to The Western
Review and Miscellaneous Magazine constitute the first publica-
tion of the Ichthyologia. The volume was made up from sheets
printed at the same time and from slightly modified forms, without
other change. Finally the errors were collated and rectified, and
an index added. This constitutes the book now so rare and so
greatly desired by workers in ichthyology.

29. Description of the Silures, or Catfishes of the
River Ohio. {Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature,
and Arts, Royal Institution, vol. ix., p. 48; London,
1820.)

This paper describes eleven species of Silurus and six varieties.
Three of these varieties fall, as synonyms, under the single species
Silurus pallidus.

30. Remarques sur quelques Erreurs en Ichthyolo-
giques. {Annales Generales des Sciences Physiques,
tome vi., p. 369; [Bruxelles,] 1820.)

31. Annals of Nature | or | Annual Synopsis | of
New Genera and Species of Animals, Plants, &c. |

discovered in North America: | | by C. S.

Rafinesque, | Professor of Botany and Natural His-
tory in Transylvania University, at Lexington (
in Kentucky, and Member of several Learned

BIBLIOGRAPHY 171

Societies in the | United States and in Europe, &c.

j I Exertion unfolds and increases knowledge.

I I First Annual Number, for 1820. | |

Dedicated to Dr. W. E. Leach, | of the British
Museum, London. | {Text follows'] 8vo, pp. 1-16;
1820.

32. Enumeration | and Account of some remark-
able I Natural Objects in the Cabinet | of Professor
Rafinesque, in Philadelphia, | being Animals, Shells,
Plants I and Fossils, collected by him | in North
America, between | 1 8 16 -i 831 | by C. S. Rafinesque

I Professor of historical and natural sciences | Phila-
delphia. I William Sharpless, Printer | No. 2 Decatur
Street. | 9 pll, ; 1831.

A manuscript copy of this work exists in the Zoological Library
of Harvard University.

33. First Number, For the Spring of 1832. | With
two figures, | Melissa and Mammoth Cave. | Atlantic
Journal, | and Friend of Knowledge; | A cyclopedic
Journal and Review | of universal science and knowl-
edge: I Historical, Natural, and Medical Arts and
Sciences: | Industry, Agriculture, education, and
every kind of useful knowledge: | with numerous
figures. I I Editor, C. S. Rafinesque, | Profes-
sor of Historical and Natural Sciences, and Member
of several | learned societies in Paris, Brussels, Vien-
na, Naples, Bonn, | New York, Philadelphia, Cincin-
nati, Lexington, &c. | | Knowledge is the mental

food of man. | | Contents of No. i . | {List of j6

articles'] \ Philadelphia: | Published Quarterly at the
office of the Atlantic Journal, | No. 59 North Eighth
Street, and Dobson's Bookstore, No. 108 Chestnut
Street ; where subscriptions are received. I Price One

172 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS

Dollar, per Annum in advance, or Two Dollars for
twelve numbers. | William Sharpless, Printer, No. 2,
Decatur street. | 1832.

This publication contains, m number 4, for the winter of 1832,
on pp. 141, 142, a short paper on the " Fishes of the United
States," and this contribution is the last which Rafinesque made to
ichthyology.

Appendix

At an auction sale, held in Philadelphia in the
spring of 1895, the editor of this volume secured a
copy of an autograph letter of Rafinesque which has
especial interest in connection with the IcJitJiyologia.
It appears that it had been the original plan of Rafi-
nesque to figure all the forms which he had described
as new from the Ohio ; but his plan was never con-
summated. The letter in question is introduced in
this place, because it has a characteristic drawing
illustrative of one of the species described in the
IcJitJiyologia, and is one of the very few in existence
thus definitely connected with specific descriptions
in the FisJies of tJie River OJiio. This letter was
addressed to " The Western Museum Society, Care of
Dr. Daniel Drake, Secretary, Cincinnati, Ohio." It
bears the endorsement, in the handwriting of Dr.
Drake, of having been answered on the 29th of
August following. The letter reads :

" Lexington, July 8th, 1820 —
" Gentlemen of the Western Museum Society.

" I have not yet rec'd your Anniversary Discourse,
but have seen one sent to Mr. Wilkins of this town.
It is upon the strength of your public invitation in
the appendix that I presume to address you.

" I would be happy if you would put it in my
power to be useful to you, in the manner which you
intimate, and on the presumption of reciprocity.

174 ICHTHYOLOGIA OH I ENS IS

' ' Many of my friends in Europe ask me for Birds,
quadrupeds, and other Animals of this country which
I have not time to prepare for them; but I supply
them easily with plants and fossils. If you have
many duplicates of Animals to spare already, I would
exchange them with pleasure for the following ar-
ticles which I have now to spare.

" I. Some foreign shells from Europe, West
Indies, East Indies &c.

"2. Some marine shells from Long Island, some
are new species of Nerita &c.

"3. Other American shells from the Potowmak,
Hudson, Kentucky, Wabash, also rare land shells.

" 4. Some fossils from Kentucky.

"5. An herbarium of the Plants of Newyork the
Alleghany Mountains, Kentucky &c. With many
new genera & species.

"6. A set of my Works.

" Tell me how the valuation & exchange may take
place, and if needful I shall repair to Cincinnati in
September next, in order to Select the objects, and
take any other necessary arrangement.

" I have sent you by mail some time ago the i
Number of my Annals of Nature. I will send you
when ready my Ichthyology of the Ohio, now pub-
lishing in the Western review and in a pamphlet
form.

' ' I send you annexed the sketch of the fish called
Shad in Louisville and Pittsburg. I have called it
Pomolobus chrysocJiloris in my Ichthyology being totally
different from the Atlantic shad which is the Clupea
sapidissiuia of Wilson's in Ree's Cyclopedia, and
myself in American Monthly Magazine, Decade of
New Fishes. If your shad was different from my

APPENDIX 175-

Pomolobus I hope some one of you may furnisli me
with a sketch of it, as you have no doubfkept one in
your Museum.

" If you possess any other fish, omitted in my
Ichthyology, it would be highly gratifying to have
also sketches of them or descriptions, in order that I
might introduce them in an appendix.
" Believe me truly

" Gentlemen Yr Obedt St
" C. S. Rafinesque,
"Prof, of B. & N. hist. Tn Un."

T^

Sketch Referred to in Above Letter
( Reduced one-half. )