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 44 inlength; head broader than in — 
the next, the front less steep, but the slope from snout to dorsal 
more uniform; body less rapidly narrowed behind; anal fin 
longer; its base 44 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 ....CarTus, 15. 
hh. Body very short, stout, and deep, the depth 34 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} 2h eeteos tc ocaeas ese cyeme es elem eae eee 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 snout, its rays usually 19 (varely 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 
SMallisceas tosses ieceoc we ote eee aes XANTHOCEPHALUS, 17. 
Jf. 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- 
UG EPS WOES RSs SERA Sse cobb edesee osSecece NIGRILABRIS, 18. 
ccc. Anal fin few-rayed (rays 15 to 17): 
4. Upper jaw distinctly longest: 
j. Body short and stout; depth about 4 in length; head fiattened, 
nearly as broad as long; dorsal nearer adipose fin than snout ; 
mouth large; spines moderately serrate ; colors very dark, al- 
most black’. <2 s.ecee cases ace cceeaece sere ene PULLUS, 19. 
jj. Body slender, elongate, the depth about 54 in length; head 
roundish, rather long, about 4 in length, the width 44; mouth 
small ; the upper jaw more projecting than in any other of the 
species known; profile convex, not steep; dorsal fin very high, 
% 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.--.-.----~.----- BRUNNEUS, 20. 
t{. 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 fin 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, 
PLATYCEPHALUS, 21 
