CATFISH GENUS NOTURUS RAFINESQUE 121 



abdomen, pelvic fin, lower edge of caudal peduncle, lower and upper 

 margin and sometimes end of caudal fin, and edge of adipose fin. 

 A gray blotch extends well into the adipose fin, the anterior end of 

 which is immaculate; an irregular dark gray blotch covers most of 

 middle of caudal fin and extends variably to the edge; sides of 

 body yellowish gray; anal fin very lightly pigmented; dorsal fin with 

 a light margin, a distal dark gray band, and an intermediate light 

 gray area that grades into the dark gray base; pectoral fins dark 

 gray except margin; upper edge of pectoral spine dark gray, front 

 edge white; upper barbels gray; a fight yellow eUiptical or ovate spot 

 at posterior end of dorsal fin. With age, lower surfaces become grayed 

 with a diffuse dark pigment. 



Type. — As is well known and was documented by Call (1899, p. 29), 

 Rafinesque did not retain the specimens on which his descriptions 

 were based and I have found none nor a reference that any of his 

 specimens are extant. Because no type-specimen of Noturus flavus 

 Rafinesque exists, a neotype of it is selected in order to fix that name 

 to the species for which it has been in long and continued use. As 

 discussed under Nomenclature (p. 127) several characters in the 

 original and later descriptions suggest the possibility that Rafinesque 

 may have described a composite of Noturus gyrinus and Noturus 

 flavus— 2.i least his counts of fin rays fit precisely the counts listed 

 herein for gyrinus and most are outside the range of those obtained 

 for fluvus. Further, although the present Ohio River is unlike the 

 river in the early nineteenth century, having been modified con- 

 siderably by man, Noturus flavus is apparently rare below Pennsyl- 

 vania, but Noturus gyrinus is moderately common (personal com- 

 munication from Dr. William M. Clay, based on the extensive survey 

 of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission). Aside 

 from flavus collected from the river bordering Illinois, I have been 

 unable to examine material from this lower section of the stream. 



In his original description of flavus, Rafinesque indicated the 

 locality as the Ohio. Later papers list the Falls of the Ohio as the 

 only definite locality, and it is probable that his specimens were 

 obtained there — -hence I assume that to be the type-locality. The 

 specimen selected as the neotype is the best that has become available 

 from near this locality. It is typical oi flavus in fin ray counts, number 

 of vertebral elements, shape of the premaxillary tooth band, body 

 shape, and color pattern as described and illustrated herein. Aside 

 from the higher fin ray counts, a slightly smaller size, and Rafinesque's 

 color description, it corresponds well with his original account. It 

 was collected with one other specimen oi flavus, USNM 202495. 



The neotype is a male 114.2 mm. in standard length. The following 

 data from it are not included in other summaries in this paper: 1,6 



