78 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 82, 



mented lower surface of the head and abdomen, the normally stiff 

 dorsal spine, and the shorter anal fin distinguish it from funebris and 

 phaens. 



Description. — Counts and measurements are given in tables 17 

 to 26. Body only moderately elongate; caudal peduncle tapering 

 posteriorly, slightly narrower than head depth; eye small, 2.0 to 3.5 

 times in snout; gill rakers on first arch 5 to 7; largest specimen, an 

 exceptionally large individual from Missouri, 121.5 mm. in standard 

 length; most are under 100 mm. in standard length. 



Head rounded above, slightly depressed forward; lower jaw in- 

 cluded; premaxillary tooth band with posterior corners rounded or, 

 sometimes, obtusely angulate; dorsal spine relatively short, stout, its 

 thickness about as in most Noturus ; pectoral spine moderate in length 

 and relatively straight, without anterior serrae; its posterior edge 

 irregularly roughened or sometimes with as many as four irregularly 

 developed serrae; posterior process of clei thrum short, its length 

 about equal to the diameter of the pectoral spine; adipose fin broadly 

 connected with the high procurrent caudal rays, without a distinct 

 notch; caudal fin rounded or slightly pointed behind. 



In cleared and stained specimens: vertebrae anterior to origin of 

 anal fin 11 (in 2), 12 (7), or 13 (7); hypurals all separate distally in 

 20 specimens or hypurals 2-3 fused in 4 specimens; ossified pectoral 

 radials tightly fused on 27 sides or incompletely fused on 5 sides. 



Soft dorsal rays in 131 specimens: 5 (in 3), 6 (126), or 7(2). The 

 caudal fin has 19 to 26, mean 23.02 upper simple rays; 17 to 23, 

 usually 18 to 21, mean 19.6 branched rays of which usually 8, less 

 frequently 7 (in specimens above 40 mm. in standard length), are in 

 the upper-half and 10 to 13 are in the lower-half of the fin; and 13 

 to 19, mean 16.3 lower simple rays. g^ 



Body color yellowish brown to dark brown, lighter below,^md 

 yellowish white on abdomen. Side and upper surface of body and 

 head uniformly pigmented, without blotches or light markings; upper 

 barbels dark; anterior edge and sometimes all of lower barbels pig- 

 mented; lips dark; abdomen pale and immaculate or sometimes with 

 a few scattered chromatophores, becoming covered with a diffuse, 

 dusky pigment with age; a moderate band of pigment across abdomen 

 in front of pelvic fins; branchiostegal membrane pale, sometimes 

 flecked with a few melanophores; chin anterior to mental barbels 

 heavily pigmented; dorsal, anal, adipose, pectoral, and pelvic fins 

 heavily flecked with pigment near their bases, becoming more diffuse 

 outward, with the margins to outer half often immaculate; anal fin 

 often with a marginal to submarginal dark or dusky band and the 

 edge clear; caudal fin typically darker than other fins, usually uni- 



