86 NEW YORK STATE. MUSEUM 



Amiunis albidns Joedan, Bull. 10, U. S. Nat. Mus. 84, ISTT, figs. 15 & 16, 



1877; Bean, Fishes Penna. 14, pi. 18, fig. 23, 1893. 

 Ameiuriis catus Jokdax & Evermann, Bull. 47. U. S. Nat. Mus, 13S, 1896. 



The body is stout, its depth equal to length of head, and con- 

 tained four times in the total length to base of caudal fin. The 

 maxillary barbels reach posterior end of head; mandibulary 

 barbels shorter; humeral process, above pectoral, half length 

 of pectoral spine, very rough; dorsal fin short, inserted nearly 

 midway between tip of snout and adipose dorsal; adipose fin 

 well developed; caudal fin slightly forked, the upper lobe longer; 

 anal fin long, one fifth to one fourth of total length to base of 

 caudal, D. I, 6; A. 19 to 22. Pale olive bluish, silvery below 

 without dark spots, but sometimes with mottlings or blotches. 

 New York to Texas, in coastwise streams and swamps. Intro- 

 duced into California and now abundant there. 



This is the white cat or channel cat, in Philadelphia distin- 

 guished as the Schuylkill cat. The channel cat is one of the most 

 abundant of its family in the Potomac river. It is abundant 

 in the Susquehanna and common in the Schuylkill, 



This species reaches a length of 2 feet and a weight of 5 

 pounds. It is extremely variable with age. Old examples have 

 the mouth so much wider than it is in the young that they have 

 been described as a distinct species. The big-mouthed cat of 

 Cope is now considered to be the old form of the white cat. The 

 habits of this species agree with those of other species already 

 mentioned. The name channel cat suggests a favorite haunt 

 of the fish. 



As a food fish it is highly prized. 



Eugene Smith^ says this catfish occurs in all the larger 

 streams subject to the tide in the vicinity of New York city. 

 The caudal is furcate. The anal has 20 or more rays. 



It is frequently caught on set lines with liver or killy bait and 

 bites best at night. The flesh is much better flavored than that 

 of A. n e b u 1 o s u s . 



^Linn. Soc. N. Y. Proc. 1897. no. 9, p. 11. 



