IIG Bulletin 4J, United States National Museum. 



1. SupraoccipitiU bone continued luickwaril from the nape, its notcliej 

 tip receiving the bone at base of dorsal spine, so tliat a contin- 

 uous bony bridge is formed under the eliin from snout to base 

 of dorsal; caudal fin forked. Ictalurhs, 7ij. 



ii. .Sui)rao:cipital not reaching interspinal bones, the bony bridi;'- 

 more or less incomplete. Ameiurus, 77. 



gg. Prema.xillary band of teeth with a lateral backward extension on each 

 side; lower jaw projecting; dorsal spine weak. Leptops, 78. 



ff. Adipose fin keel-like, adnate to the back. 



j. Band of teeth in upper jaw with a backward extension at its outer posterior 

 angle, as in Leptops. NoTUUUS, 79. 



jj. Band of teeth in upper jaw without backward extension, as in Ameiunis, 



SCUILBEODES, SU. 

 PiMELODINyE: 



ee. Posterior nostril without barbel; barbels li; adijwse fin well developed; teeth in 

 \illiform bands. 

 Ic. Teeth on vomer none, or in small patches. 



I. Head covered with soft skin above, not granulated. Snout broad, scarcely 

 produced; barbels terete or slighlty flattened, noi margined; head longer 

 than broad. 

 m. Occipital process, if present, not reaching the dorsal plate; dorsal 

 S{>ino pungent. Kiiamdia, 81. 



vim. Occipital process narrow, reaching the dorsal plate; fontanelle reach- 

 ing base of occipital jirocess, a bridge across it above posterior 

 margin of eye; humeral process spine-like. Pimelodella, 82. 



(/. Head grauulate<l above, naked or partially naked; occipital process usually 

 reaching dorsal plate; fontanelle not continued behind eyes; adipose 

 fin longerthan high; humeral process broad; not spine-like. 



PiMELODUS, 83. 



68. FELICHTHYS, Swainsou. 

 (Gaff-Topsail Catfishes.) 



Breviceps, Swainson, Nat, Hist. Fishes, 1, 328, 1838, {bagre), name preoccupied. 



FeUchthiia, SWAINSON, I. c, II, 305, 1839, substitute for Brevicepf, (bagre). 



Ailuriehlhiis, Baird & GiRARii, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1854, 26, (mariiins). 



JEhirlchthijs, Gill, corrected spelling. 



Mijslns, Gronow, Cat. Fishes, Ed. Gray, 165, 1854, (carolincnsis), name preoccupied. 



I'imelodus, Bleeker, Silures de Suriuame, 65, 1864, (bagi-e), not of Lacepede, as restricted liy Gill. 



Body rather elongate, little compressed. Head depressed, broad above. 

 Mouth large, the upper jaw the longer. Teeth all villiforni; those on the 

 vomer and palatines forming a more or less jicrfectly crescent-shaped band. 

 Barbels 4; maxillary barbels band-like, very long; chin with 2 short 

 barbels. Nostrils close together, the posterior with a valve ; nuchal region 

 with a granulated, bony buckler. Fontanelle large, well forward. Dor- 

 sal fin short, in front of the ventrals, with 1 sharp spine and 7 rays. Pec- 

 torals with a similar spine ; pectoral spines, and sometimes dorsal spine 

 also, ending in a long, striated, band-like filament. Adipose fin moderate, 

 free behind. Caudal fin widely forked; anal moderate, emarginate; ven- 

 tral rays 6. Gill membranes somewhat connected. Tropical waters of 

 America, the species all marine, {felis, cat; t;);ffi''f, fish.) 



a. Dorsal spine not produced in a long filament; occipital process large, shajicd like a tbiver 

 leaflet; gill rakers 5 + 14; base of ventrals about eiiuidistant from snout and caudal. 



PANAMENSIS, 156. 



