GENUS BUBALICHTHYS. 205 



monthed, B. huhahts, retaining for it the name wbich Dr. Kirtlancl has given it, even 

 though the species o{ lohthijobus must bear the same specific name, being that origin- 

 ally applied by Rafinesque. It may bo that either my B. vituhis or my B. nrus is iden- 

 tical with Dr. Kirtland'a C. hubahts, but until I can obtain original specimens of Ihis 

 species, this point must remain undecided, as it is impossible for mere descriptions to 

 institute a sufficiently minute comparison. The specimens from Osage Eiver I shall 

 call B. honasus. 



"Compared with one another, these species differ as follows: B. nhjer,(thG big- 

 mouthed Buffalo) differs from B. hubalus (the small-moathed Buffalo) by its Luger 

 mouth, opening more forwards; its more elongated body, the first rays of the dorsal 

 rising immediately above the base of the ventrals, and its anterior lobe being broader, 

 and the anal fin not emarginated; B. bonasus differs from B. bubalus and from B. niger 

 in having the mouth larger than the first and smaller than the second, and from B. 

 bubalus by its less emarginated dorsal, which renders its larger lobe broader, anal fin 

 not emarginated, opercle larger. A farther comparison with the Southern species could 

 only be satisfactory, if accompanied by accurate figures." — ( Agassiz, Am. Journ. Sc. Arts, 

 1855, p. 192.) 



ScLEROGNATHUS Giiuther, 1868. — " Scales of moderate or rather large size. Lateral 

 line running along the middle of the tail. Dorsal fin much elongate, with about 30 or 

 more rays, none of which are spinous. Anal fin short. Mouth small, inferior {B:(ba- 

 lichUtys) or subterminal (Sderognathus), with the lips more or less thickened. Barbels 

 none. Gill-rakers long, stiff in the upper two-thirds of the first branchial arch, modi- 

 fied into low membranaceous transverse folds in the lower third. Pseudobranchite. 

 Pharyngeal bones sickle-shaped, armed with a comb-like series of numerous, compressed 

 teeth, increasing in size downwards."— (GUnther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. vii, 22, 1868.) 



BuBALiCHTHys Cope & Jordan, 1877. — " Body oblong oval, compressed ; dorsal elon- 

 gate, elevated in front, of 20 or more rays ; fontauelle present ; pharyngeal bones 

 strong, the teeth comparatively coarse and large, increasing in size downwards; mouth 

 inferior." — (Jordan, Proc. Ac. Kat. Sc. Phila. 1877, p. 82.) 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF BUBALICHTHYS. 



* Body considerably elevated and compressed above ; the dorsal region subcariuate : 

 belly thicker ; depth 2^ to 2| in length ; axis of body above the ventrals below 

 the lateral line and nearly twice as far from the back as from the belly: head 

 moderate, triangular in outline when viewed from the side, 4 in length : eye 

 equal to snout, 4 to 5 in length of head, much larger than in B. nrus : mouth quite 

 small, notably smaller and more inferior than in B. nrus : mandible about equnl 

 to eye: dorsal fin elevated in front and rapidly declined, the highest ray reach- 

 ing much beyond the middle of the fin, the seventh ray about half the length of 

 the third or longest; anal rays rapidly shortened behind, the micdle rays much 

 shorter than the first long ones: scales 8-39-6; dorsal, 29; anal, 10; ventrals, 

 10: coloration paler, the lower tins slightly dusky bubalus, 50. 



** Body much less elevated and less compressed than in the preceding, the back not at all 

 carinated ; axis of body above ventrals about at the lateral line, and but very lit- 

 tle farther from the dorsal outline than from the ventral ; depth 3 to 3^ in length : 

 head very stout, strongly transversely convex, thicker, larger, and less pointed 



