GENUS BUBALICHTHYS. 205 



montlicd, 77. buhahtfs, retainin;^ for it tlio naiDO \vliirh Dr. Kirtlnnd has given it, even 

 thongb tho species o^ Jchlhyobus must bear the same specific name, beinff that origin- 

 ally applied bj' Rafinesque. It may be that cither my B. vituhis or ray 7>. tirus is iden- 

 tical -with Dr. Kirtlaud's C. hnbahi.i, bnt until I can obtain original specimens of this 

 species, this point must remain undecided, as it is impossible for mere descriptions to 

 institute a sufficiently minute comparison. The specimens from Osago liiver I shall 

 call B. honasus. 



"Compared with one another, these species differ as follows: B. nif/er, (tho big- 

 mouthed Buffalo) dilTers from B. hubaliis (the small-mouthed Bufialo). by its larger 

 mouth, opening more forwards; its more elongated body, tho first rays of the dorsal 

 rising immediately above the base of tho ventrals, and its anterior lobe being broader, 

 and the anal fin not emarginated; B. bonasus differs from B. biibahis and from B. uifjcr 

 in having the mouth larger than the first and smaller than the second, and from B. 

 btibalus by its less emarginated dorsal, which renders its larger lobe broader, anal fin 

 not emarginated, opercle larger. A farther comparison with the Southern species could 

 only be satisfactory, if accompanied by accurate figures."— (Agassiz, Am. Jourti. Sc. Jr!8, 

 1855, p. 192.) 



SCLEROGNATHUS GUnther, 1868. — " Scales of moderate or rather large size. Lateral 

 line running along the middle of the tail. Dorsal fin much elongate, with about 30 or 

 more rays, none of which are spinous. Anal fin short. Mouth small, inferior (i>.(&a- 

 lichthys) or subterminal {Sderognathus), with the lips more or less thickened. Barbels 

 none. Gill-rakers long, stiff in tho upper two-thirds cf the first branchial arch, modi- 

 fied into low membranaceous transverse folds in the lower third. Pseudobranchiio. 

 Pharyngeal bones sickle-shaped, armed with a comb-like series of numerous, compressed 

 teeth, increasing in size downwards."— (GtiNTUEH, Cat. Fishes Brit. Miis. vii, 22, 18G8.) 



BuBALicilTHYS Cope & Jordan, 1877. — " Body oblong oval, compressed; dorsal elon- 

 gate, elevated in front, of 20 or more rays; fontauello present; pharyngeal bones 

 t>trong, the teeth comparatively coarse and large, increasing in size downwards; mouth 

 inferior." — (Jordan, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. riiila. 1877, p. 82.) 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF BUBALICHTHYS. 



* Body considerably elevated and compressed above ; the dorsal region subcarin.ite : 

 belly thicker ; depth 2| to 2| in length ; axis of body above tho ventrals below 

 tho lateral line and nearly twice as far from the back as from the belly: head 

 moderate, triangular in outline when viewed from tho side, 4 in length : eye 

 equal to snout, 4 to 5 in length of head, much larger than in B. urus : mouth (]uito 

 small, notably smaller and more inferior than in B. imts : mandible about ocpial 

 to eye: dorsal fin elevated in front and rapidly declined, the highest ray reach- 

 ing much beyond the middle of the fin, the seventh ray about half the length of 

 the third or longest; anal rays rapidly shortened behind, the middle rays much 

 shorter than tho first long ones: soaks 8-39-G; dorsal, 29; anal, 10; ventrals, 

 10: coloration palor, tho lower fins slightly dusky buball'S, .50. 



•* Body much lees elevated and less comiiressed than in the preceding, tho back not at all 

 carinated ; axis of body above ventrals about at tho lateral line, and but very lit- 

 tle farther from the dorsal outline than from tho ventral ; depth 3 to 3| in length ; 

 head very stout, strongly transversely convex, thicker, larger, and less pointed 



