102 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



Ol. P. oBivaris (Raf.) Gill & Jordan. — Mud Cat; Yellow Ca.t ; Bashaw; Goiijon. 



Mottled brown and yellowish, the latter color often predominant; 

 whitish below. Body very long, slender, depressed forwards, closely 

 compressed behind, the head extremely flat, tbe lower jaw the longer. 

 Barbels short. Dorsal spine half the height of the fin. Caudal slightly 

 emarginate. Anal tin short, its base about one-sixth the length, its rays 

 12-15. Humeral process short. Size very large, reaching a weight of 

 50-75 pounds. Elvers of the Mississippi Valley and Southern States ; 

 abundant in deep, sluggish waters. A fish of unprepossessing appear- 

 ance, although much used as food. 



{Silurus oUvaris Raf. Amer. Month. Mag. 1818, 355 : Hopladeltts olivarls Gill, Ichth. 

 Capt. Simpson's Expl. 187(3, 426: Pelodlchthijs oUvaris J ovdan, I.e. 95: Pimelodiis pimc- 

 tulattts Giintber, v, 101 : Pimclodus limosus Raf. Iclith. Oh. 07 : Pimelodus wneiis C. & V. 

 XV, 135.) 



54.— OKOJ^IAS Cope. 



Blind Cats. 



(Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1864, 231: type Gronias nigrilalyns Cope.) 



This genus agrees with Amiurus in all respects, except that the eyes 

 are rudimentary and covered hy the thick skin. The single species is 

 probably descended from some Amiurus of the type of melas, modified 

 in accordance with its subterranean life. {rp(i>vy], a cavern.) 



92. <J. nigriSabris Cope. 



Black above ; jaws and fins black ; sides varied with yellowish ; belly 

 jjale. Eyes more or less rudimentary and concealed beneath the skin. 

 Jaws equal. Muzzle flat. Dorsal spine Tnidway between snout and mid- 

 dle of adipose fin. Barbels short. Caudal slightly emarginate. Anal 

 with 18 rays. Branchiostegals 10. Cave streams -(Conestoga Eiver), 

 Eastern Penuvsylvania. 



(Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1834, 231 : Amiurus nignlnhrls Jordan, 1. c. 92.) 



55.— AMIURUS Rafinesque. 

 Cat-Jishes. 



(Ameiurvs Rnfinesque, Ichth. Oh. 1820, 65: type Silurus cupreua Raf. =^ Pimelodus natalis 

 Le Snenr.) 



Body moderately elongated, robust, anteriorly vertically ovate and 

 scarcely compressed ; caudal peduncle also robust, but much compressed, 

 and at its end evenly convex. Head large, wide, laterally expanded, 

 above ovate, and in profile cuneiform ; supraoccipital extended little 

 posteriorly and terminating in a more or less acute point, which is en- 

 tirely separate from the second interspinal buckler ; the skm covering 



