PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



by the 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Vol. 94 Washington: 1944 Nc 3172 



THE CATFISHES OF VENEZUELA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS 

 OF THIRTY-EIGHT NEW FORMS 



By Leonard P. Schultz 



In the winter of 1942, at the invitation of Dr. Guillermo Zuloaga, 

 assistant cbief of explorations, Standard Oil Co. of Venezuela, Caracas, 

 I undertook to study and make collections of fishes in the Maracaibo 

 Basin of Venezuela. I proceeded to Venezuela under the auspices 

 of the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Department of 

 State and was a guest there of the Standard OH Co. of Venezuela and 

 of the Lago Petroleum Corporation, Lago Maracaibo. To the offi- 

 cials of these companies I must express my deep appreciation, for it 

 was a great pleasure to accept this wonderful opportunity. 



This report on the catfishes of Venezuela is based on collections 

 made by me in the Maracaibo Basin and in other localities of the 

 country, totaling 9,920 specimens, as well as on additional specimens 

 in the collections of the United States National Museum. It is 

 planned to report later on the other groups of fishes represented in 

 the collections made during this trip. 



I wish especially to thank the following for their aid and hospitality 

 during the course of my work: Hon. Frank P. Corrigan, United 

 States Ambassador, Caracas, Renwick S. McNiece, American Consul, 

 Maracaibo, and Thomas Maleady, second secretary, American Em- 

 bassy, Caracas, for their fuUest cooperation in helping me obtain the 

 necessary papers connected with my extensive travels in Venezuela 

 and making my visit to that country so pleasant; Dr. Walter Du- 

 pouy, director of the Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Caracas, who 



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