PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 



OF 



PHILADELPHIA. 



1887, 



January 4, 1887. 



Mr. Thomas Meehan, Vice-President, in the cliair. 



Fifteen persons present. 



A New Species of Catfish (Ictcdurus). Prof. Angelo Heilprin 

 described a species of catfish from Lake Okeechobee, Florida, 

 which differed in several well-marked characters from the various 

 other North American species that had hitherto been described. 

 The species is most nearly related to Ictalurus lacustris, the 

 " catfish of the lakes," which it generally resembles. The color 

 over the greater part of the body is blue-black, varying to black 

 on the back, and white on the ventral surface ; the barbels of one 

 of the inferior pairs are white, and nearly so in the second pair. 

 The dorsal fin is situated nearer to the adipose fin than to the 

 snout; humeral process moderately long, about one-half the 

 length of the pectoral spine ; tail deeply forked, the upper lobe 

 barely longer than the lower one. Length of largest specimen 

 caught, about 20 inches. It was proposed to name this species 

 Ictalurus Okeechobeensis. 



