Dace, a name applied to several native and foreign cyprinoid fishes belonging principally to the genus leuciscus (Klein), which, as far as the North American species are concerned, has been subdivided into the genera argyreus (Heckel), leucosomus (Heckel), plargyrus (Rafi-nesque), Richardsonius (Girard), luxilus (Raf.), semotilus (Raf.), mylocheilus (Agass.), algansea (Gir.), hybognathus (Agass.), ptychocheilus (Agass.), Hudsonius (Gir.), liybopsis (Agass.), clinostomus (Gir.), ceratichthys (Baird), and chondrostoma (Agass.). From this long array of new genera it is evidently impossible to give here anything like a satisfactory account of the numerous species popularly called dace. The true leucisci are far more numerous in the old world than in the new. As a species of this genus may be mentioned the orange dace (L. croceus, Storer), about 3 1/2 in. long, of a greenish color, with the throat flesh-colored, an indistinct brown band on the side running longitudinally with a small black blotch at the end, and the fins orange; from Alabama. These genera belong to the malacopterygian or soft-rayed fishes; the mouth is slightly cleft, the jaws weak and without teeth, and the pharyngeal bones toothed; the body scaly, one dorsal fin, and no adipose dorsal; sometimes with barbels on the head.

The name of shiner is also given to many of the species called dace. The roach dace, or silvery dace (leucosomus pulchellus, Storer), is among the largest species, being sometimes 14 in. long; the color is dark brown above, the upper portion of sides brassy green, lower portion and abdomen flesh color, with golden reflections; the head is black above with the gill covers coppery, the upper jaw slightly the longer. It delights in eddies and pools, and is found from New York to Nova Scotia. It is synonymous with cheilonemus (Bd.), and has five described species; there is a small barbel upon the maxillary, near the angle of the mouth.

Black-nosed Dace (Argyreus atronasus).

The black-nosed dace (argyreus atronasus, Mitch.) rarely exceeds 3 in. in length, is found in the rivers of Massachusetts and New York, and is often called brook minnow. It is reddish brown above, abdomen silvery white, with minute brown blotches, a dark band passing from the nose to the tail. The natural characters of the genus are a snout more or less protruding beyond the lower jaw, with a small barbel at the angle of the mouth; it is synonymous with rhinichthys (Agass.). The long-nosed dace (A. nasutus, Ayres) is about 4 in. long, inhabiting rapid northern streams; it is dark brown above, white below, with the dorsal and caudal fins brownish. The smaller specimens of the last two species make excellent bait for large trout. Seven other species are described. The red dace (plargyrus cor-nutus, Mitch.), one of the prettiest of the American cyprinoids, is about 5 in. long, blackish brown above, with metallic reflections, sides brilliant and cupreous, all the fins and opercles margined with crimson; the jaws are equal, and there are no barbels on the head; the scales are very large, and imbricated.

This is a very active fish, is common in streams frequented by brook trout, and is frequently taken by fly-fishers for the latter species; it is often eaten in the British provinces, and is in the best condition in May. This genus is synonymous with hypsolepis (Bd.), and contains six other described species. The golden and flat dace belong to the genus luxilus (Raf.), and species L. Americanus (Lacep.) and L. compressus (Raf.); five other species are described; no barbels on the head. The lake dace is semotilus atromaculatus (Mitch.), about 10 in. long; four other species are described. The northwest dace is mylo-cheilus caurinus (Rich.), about a foot long, discovered in Columbia river; it has a maxillary barbel; there are two other species. The Columbia river dace is ptychocheilus Orego-nensis (Rich.); it is more than a foot long, brownish above, silvery white below; there are four other species. The shining dace of Lake Champlain is hybognathus nitidus (De Kay), 2 in. long; there are four other species.

Storer's dace, a western species, about 8 in. long, is Jiybopsis Storerianus (Kirtland); there is also a southern species (H. Winchelli, Gir.). The common dace of Europe is the leuciscus vulgaris (Cuv.), inhabiting the deep and still water of the streams of Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy; it rarely exceeds 10 in. in length; the prevailing color is dusky blue above, becoming paler on the sides, and white on the abdomen; cheeks silvery; dorsal and caudal fins pale brown; the other fins nearly white, tinged with pale red. They are gregarious, swimming in shoals, and spawning in June; they feed on worms and insects, but will rise at an artificial fly. The flesh is not much esteemed, and it is principally used as a bait for pike-trolling, on account of its silvery brightness. The shining scales of the roach and other dace are employed in manufacturing artificial pearls.