44. SORUBIM. 105 



caudal fin. The band of intermaxillary teeth ( f-~\ ^ has a 



slender process on each side directed backwards. 

 North America. 



a-b. From 3 to 4 inches long. Old Collection. 



4. Noturus occidentalis. 

 Gill, in Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 1862, p. 45. 



B. 9. D. 1/7. A. 17-18. P. 1/10. V. 9. 

 Head considerably longer than broad, its length being contained 

 four times and a third in the total (without caudal) ; the maxillary 

 barbel reaches scarcely to the base of the pectoral. There is a 

 shallow notch between the adipose fin and the caudal. The distance 

 between the joint of the pectoral spine and the root of the ventral is 

 less than the distance between the latter and the caudal fin. The band 

 of intermaxillary teeth ( <CZD ) has no slender lateral process. 

 Platte River. 



a-b. Young. Presented by the Smithsonian Institution. 



Seventh Group. PIMELODINA. 



Proteropterous Siluroids with the anterior and posterior nos- 

 trils remote from each other, and without nasal barbel. 



44. SORUBIM. 



Sorubim, sp., Spix. 



Platvstoma, sp., Agassiz. 



Soru'bim, Bleek. Nederl. Tydschr. Dierk. 1863, p. 98. 



Adipose fin short ; a short dorsal fin with a pungent spine and 

 with six or seven soft rays ; anal fin of moderate length. Snout 

 very long, spatulate, with the upper jaw projecting, and covered with 

 villiform teeth below. Eyes partly directed downwards. The upper 

 surface of the head not covered by the skin. Barbels six. Caudal 

 forked ; ventrals with six rays, inserted behind the dorsal. Cill- 

 membranes not united. 



Brazil. 



1. Sorubim lima. 



Silurus lima, Bl. Schti. p. .°»84. 

 Sorubim infraocularis, Spix, Pise. Bras. pi. 15. 



Platvstoma lima, Agass. in Spix, Pise. Bras. p. 24; Cur. 8f Val. xv. 

 p. 7 ; Ener, Sitzungsbcr. Wien. Acad. xxvi. p. 399. 



B. 15-16. D. -£-. A. 20-22. P. _^-. 



(6-) 7 7-9 



The greatest, width of the head is two-fifths of its length. The 

 length of the projecting portion of the upper jaw is nearly equal to 

 the distance of the eye from the angle of the mouth. Teeth on the 

 palate in four groups : two triangular on the vomer, and one oblong 

 on each palatini bone. The maxillary barbel extends to the middle 



