2788 Bulletin ^7, United States National Mtiseum. 



202. TACHYSURUS VABIOLOSUS (Ciivier & Valenciennes), text, p. 132 



203. TACHTSUBUS MULTIBADIATUS (Giinther), text, p. 132. 



75. CATHOROPS, Jordan & Gilbert, text, p. 133. 



204. CATHOROPS HYPOPHTHALMUS (Steindachner), text, p. 133. 



205. CATHOROPS GULOSUS (Eigenmann & Eigenniann), text, p. 133. 



Page 134. After /ctoZ«rH.s/H»va<«s add: 



20«(a). ICTALURUS ANGUILLA, Eveiniaiin & Kendall. 



(Eel Cat; Willow Cat.) 



Head 4; depth 4i; eye 7 in head; snout 2J; interorbital 1^; maxillary 

 (without barbel) 3; free jiortiou of maxillary barbel longer than head; 

 dorsal spine 2 in head ; pectoral spine 2 ; -width of mouth 2. D. I, 6 ; A. 24 ; 

 A-ertebrse 42. Head large, broad, and heavy; the mouth unusually broad; 

 cheeks and po8to(-ular portion of top of head very prominent; interor- 

 bital space flat, a l)road, deep groove extending backward to origin of 

 dorsal fin; body stout, compressed posteriorly; back scarcely elevated. 

 Eye small; maxillary barbel long, reaching considerably past gill open- 

 ing; other barbels .short. Origin of dorsal fin equidistant between snout 

 and origin of adipose fin, its distance from snout 2? in length of body; 

 base of dorsal fin 3i in head; longest dorsal ray 1| in head; dorsal spine 

 strong, entire both V)ei"ore and behind; pectoral spine strong, entire in 

 front, a series of strong, retrorse serra' behind; humeral process 2i in 

 pectoral spine; ventrals barely reaching origin of anal, their length 2 in 

 head; anal fin long and low, the longest rays about 21 in head; base of 

 fin greater than head, 3j in body; caudal moderately forked, the middle 

 rays about 2\ in outer rays, -which are about 1| in head. Color uniform 

 pale yellowish or olivaceous; no spots any-where. 



An examination of the 6 cotypes shows that there is not much variation, 

 all the important characters remaining quite constant. The maxillary 

 barl>el varies somewhat in length, in some individuals scarcely reaching 

 gill opening, and the number of anal rays varies from 24 to 26. 



A comparison of the skull of this spocii'S with that of /. furcatus and of 

 I. pun (tat us of the same size shows a number of very marked difterences. 

 Nearly all the bones in /. anguiUa are heavier than in the other species; 

 the supraoccipital is broadly triangular, and its upper surface finely 

 grooved, while in each of the other species it is much longer and narrower 

 and the upper surface nearly smooth. 



From the blue cat {Ictahirus furcatus) this species differs chiefly in the 

 fewer rays in the anal fin, the -wider mouth, the shorter, heavier head, the 

 much longer maxillary ])arbe], and in the cranial characters already given. 

 From the spotted cat (/. punctatux) it may be distinguished by its wider 

 mouth, more blunt snout, heavier head, the color, and the cranial charac- 

 ters already mentioned. 



