82 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY II. 



— . Body nearly uniform in color above, or slightly mottled or clouded: 

 h. Body rather elongate ; depth 4 to 4^ iu length ; head broader than ia 

 the next, the front less steep, but the slope from snout to dorsal 

 more uniform; body less rapidly narrowed behind; anal fiu 

 longer; its base 4^ in body, the rays usually 21 or 22; dorsal 

 usually rather nearer adipose fin than snout ; the upper jaw 

 more elongate ; color dark yellowish-brown, varying to dusky 



or even to black, sometimes more or less clouded Catus, 15. 



hh. Body very short, stout, and deep, the depth 3^ to 4 in length ; head 

 moderate, somewhat contracted forward; the front steeply ele- 

 vated, the body thick across the shoulders, rather rapidly nar- 

 rowed behind ; anal fin short and deep, of 18 to 20 rays. Its base 

 nearly 5 in length of body ; dorsal nearer adipose tin than snout ; 

 jaws nearly equal; size small ; color almost black ; form varying 

 to extremely short and thick, especially behind, with short 



caudal fin Melas, 16. 



gg. Head very broad, the slope from snout to base of dorsal quite uneven, 

 there being a more or less decided angle at occiput ; head about 

 as broad as long, its length about 4 in body ; dorsal spine nearer 

 adipose fin than snoot, its rays usually 19 (rarely 18 or 20); 

 body short and stout ; mouth very broad ; color rather pale, 

 chiefly uniform yellowish-brown, varying to dark brown or pale 

 yellow ; head sometimes yellow (Raf.) ; belly yellow ; size 



small Xanthocephalus, 17. 



^f. Eyes more or less rudimentary and concealed beneath the skin ; jaws 

 equal ; muzzle flat ; dorsal spine midway between snout and 

 middle of adipose fin ; barbels short ; caudal slightly emargi- 

 nate ; anal with 18 rays ; color blackish above ; jaws and fins 

 black ; sides varied with yellowish ; belly pale ; branchios- 



tegals 10 NiGRiLABRis, 18. 



ccc. Anal fin few-rayed (rays 15 to 17) : 



i. Upper jaw distinctly longest : 

 j. Body short and stout ; depth about 4 in length ; head flattened, 

 nearly as broad as long ; dorsal nearer adipose fin than snout ; 

 mouth large ; spines moderately serrate ; colors very dark, al- 

 most black Puixus,19. 



jj. Body slender, elongate, the depth about 5.^ in length ; head 

 roundish, rather long, about 4 in length, the width 4| ; mouth 

 small ; the upper jaw more projecting than in any other of the 

 species known ; profile convex, not steep ; dorsal fin very high, 

 f length of head, well forward, its spine nearer snout than 

 adipose fin ; anal fin short and high, its base 5 in length of 

 body; pectoral spine serrated; color pale olive-brown; a black- 

 ish horizontal bar at base of dorsal Brunisteus, 20. 



U. Body excessively slender, elongate, as in Pelodichthys, the depth being 6 to 

 8 times in length of body ; head broad and flat, nearly as 

 wide as long ; anal fiu with 20 rays ; the base of the fin 4^ 

 to 5 in body ; jaws equal ; branchiostegals 11 ; mouth very 

 wide ; dorsal spine nearer snout than adipose fin ; coloration 

 ordinary, a blackish horizontal bar at base of dorsal, 



Plat YCEPn ALUS, 21 



