178 SILUKID^. 



with seven soft rays ; dorsal and pectoral spines produced into a 

 long, compressed and striated filament ; anal fin of moderate length. 

 Barbels four : one at each maxillary, band-like, and two at the chin. 

 Teeth on the palate villiform, in a crescentic band. Jaws nearly 

 equal in length. Caudal forked ; ventral rays six. A short slit 

 between the gill-membranes. 

 Eastern parts of America. 



a. Occipital process subtriangular, tapering behind. 



1. ZElurichthys longispinis. 



D. 1/7. A. 21. P. 1/12. 



Very similar to JE. marinus and gronovii. 



The maxillary barbels extend to, or nearly to, the root of the 

 ventral. The teeth on the palate in a narrow band, composed of 

 two vomerine and of the palatine portions ; very narrow interspaces 

 between the single portions The upper jaw is rather the longer. 

 Pectoral spine much longer than that of the dorsal fin, and as long 

 as the head ; both spines with the soft filaments of variable length. 

 Back olive, sides silvery. 



Mexico. 



a. Eighteen inches long. Old Collection. 



b. Fine specimen. South America. 



c. Half-grown. Mexico. From the Haslar Collection. 



2. iElurichthys marinus. 



Silurus bagre, Bl. taf. 365; Bl. Schn. p. 377 (not L.). 



marinus, Mitch. Lit. Sr Phil. Trans. New York, i. p. 433. 



Galeichthys parrae, Cuv. df Vol. xv. p. 33 ; Hyrtl, Denkschr. Acad. 



Wiss. Wien, 1859, xvi. p. 17. 



blochii, Cuv. fy Vol. xv. p. 44. 



marinus, Dekay, New York Faun. Fish. p. 178. pi. 37. fig. 118 



(bad). 

 — ■ — bahiensis, Casteln. Anim. Am&r. Sud, Poiss. p. 37. pi. 18. fig. 1 



(miserable description). 

 Ailurichthys marinus, Girard, Ichth. U. 3. 8f Mex. Bound, pi. 14. 



B. 6. D. 1/7. A. 22-24. P. 1/12. Vert. 20/30. 



The maxillary barbels extend to, or somewhat beyond, the end of 

 the pectoral spine. Pectoral spine longer than that of the dorsal fin, 

 three-fifths or three-quarters of the length of the head. The band 

 of teeth on the palate is subcontinuous. 



Atlantic coasts of America. 



a, b. Adult. North America. Purchased of Mr. Warwick. 



c. Adult: stuifed. North America. Presented by E. Doubleday, Esq. 



d. Young. 



3. JElurichthys gronovii. 



Marcgr. p. 174; Pison. p. 64; Wtilugh. pi. H. 7. fig. 6; Parra, pi, 81. 



fig. 1, 

 Mystus, Gronov. Zoophyl. no. 383. p. 124. 



