The Scientific Name of the Black Crappie

RECENT authors have followed McKay (1881: 87) in applying the name Pomoxis [Pomoxys of McKay] sparoides (Lacepede) to the black crappie. A reexamination of the original description fails to justify McKay's judgment in resurrecting the name sparoides for the species. Labrus sparoides Lacepede, (3, 1802: 449, 517-518, plate 24, fig. 2, and 4, 1802: 718), from "les eaux douces de la Caroline," was based, according to Cuvier (3, 1829: 88-89), solely upon a drawing sent to Lacepede by Bosc under the manuscript name Perca notata. The published figure is abominable, but obviously applies either to the Centrarchus macropterus or Pomoxis sparoides of recent authors. Since no type of Labrus sparoides was preserved the disposition of the name depends upon the poor figure and the description which was apparently drawn from this figure. The description itself applies much better to Centrarchus macropterus than to Pomoxis "sparoides." In the figure the length and position of the dorsal fin agree closely with macropterus (its base projected forward extending far beyond the snout, as in macropterus, rather than to above the eyes as in "sparoides"). Likewise the position of the anal fin fits well with macropterus (its base projected forward extending to below middle of snout as in macropterus, instead of to below posterior margin of eye as in "sparoides"). In fact the figure of Labrus sparoides agrees much better with macropterus in this character than does the original figure of that species on the same plate. The numbers of dorsal and anal spines as given in the text (D. X, 12; A. X, 16; although I count D. X, 12; A. IX, 16 in the figure) agree far better with macropterus (D. XI to XIII, 12 to 15; A. VII to IX, 13 to 17) than with "sparoides" (D. VII or VIII, 14 to 17; A. VI or rarely VII, 16 to 20). The total numbers of dorsal rays (22) and anal rays (25 or 26) agree somewhat more closely with "sparoides" (D. 22 to 24; A. 23 to 26) than with macropterus (D. 23 to 27; A. 20 to 24), but the reproduction of the numbers of soft rays is perhaps erroneous since the pectoral exhibits 8 rays although neither species has less than 12 as a minimum count. In "sparoides" the vertical fin spines are much more sharply graduated in length than in macropterus. The outline of the spinous dorsal in the figure typifies that in macropterus; that of the anal is poor for either species but better represents macropterus. Although the species differ markedly in color pattern no diagnostic characters are evident in the figure. The great depth of the body and general body form agree better with macropterus. In view of the utter inadequacy of this figure and description as applied to the P. sparoides of recent authors it would seem preferable to relegate sparoides to the synonymy of macropterus, despite the discomfiture resulting from a change in the name of a common species, rather than to have the