Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 139 



apparently of 15 or 16 rays and much shorter than head, the spines small, 

 the occipital bridge apparently complete as in Ictahinif) (to which <;enu8 

 it may belong), and the color entirely black, as is the case with nearly all 

 fishes in black-water swamps. The tjpe is from Kissimee River, near 

 Lake Okeechobee, in the everglades of Florida. 



Iclnhinis okr<'rhn}}pensi!', Heilpuin, Trans. Wagucr Inst. Sci. Phila., i, 1S87, jil. 18, Kissimee 

 River, Florida. 



Subgenus AMEIURUS. 

 214. AMEirRl S EREBEXXUS, Jordan. 



Body rather elongate, compressed, the depth about i^ in length. Dorsal 

 region rather elevated; the head quite long and narrowed forward, 4 times 

 in length of l)ody. Head more narrowed than in A. natalus ; width of 

 head in front of eye little more than i its length ; width of the mouth 

 about i length of head. Greatest width of head contained H times in its 

 length. Dorsal tin slightly nearer the snout than the adipose fin , unusual ly 

 high, its spine long. Pectoral spines strong, about i as long as the 

 head. Anal fin long, deep, nearly i the length of the body, of 22 

 to 24 rays. Adipose fin large; caudal fin rather short, truncate behind. 

 Jaws subequal. Supraoccipital process but little free behind. Color 

 black; belly paler; fins and barbels black. Coast swamps and black- 

 water streams from New Jersey to P^lorida. Close to A. natalis, but with 

 narrower head and longer spines. {ipelievvoQ, color of Erebus, which is 

 very black. ) 



Ameiurna erebetititis, Jordan, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, 85, 1877, St. Johns River, Florida; 



Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 105, 1883. 

 Amiitnt£ prosthistius* Cope, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1883, 133, Batstoe River, N. J. 



21.5. AMEIURUS NATALIS, (Le Sueur). 

 (Yellow Cat.) 



Anal rays 24 to 27. Body more or less short and chubby, sometimes 

 extremely obese (var. natalis), sometimes more elongate (var. Uvidus). 

 Head short and broad; mouth wide, the jaws equal (var. Uvidus), or the 

 upper jaw longest (var. cupreus). Yellowish, greenish, or blackish. Great 

 Lake region to Virginia and Texas, and 'southward ; generally abundant, 

 extremely variable, and running into several varieties. t {natalis, having 

 large nates, or buttocks.) 



* Except that the caudal fin is said to be rounded rather than truncate, A. pmsihislins agrees 

 with .-1. erebennus, with which wo tliink it will prove identi<al. Greate.'Jt width of head eipial 

 to deptli of body; eye small, .5 in interorbital width; dorsal spine inserted much nearer tip of 

 snout than adipose fin ; pectoral spines a little larger than dorsal spine ; maxillary barbel n ach- 

 ing middle of pectoral spine ; humeral process extending a little farther ; black, whitish below ; 

 fins black; pectoral and ventral pale at base; head 3^^ ; depth 4|4- D. I, 6 ; A. 24 to 27. 

 Batstoe River, New Jersey. — Cope. 



t These varieties have been thus diagnosed : 

 a. Dorsal considerably nearer snout than adipose fin. 



b. Jaws equal; Bjiines very short; anal rays 2.5; colors yellowish brown. Ohio Kiver to 

 Arkansas, North Carolina, and south. lividus. 



6b. Jaws unequal, the upper the lunger. 



c. Anal rays 24 or 2.5, the fin rather low, its base 3^^ in body, nape not swollen. 



d. Colors pale, yellowish brown. Mississippi valley and south. cupreus. 



