THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 167 
Very abundant in the Delaware and met with in most of its 
lower tributaries. The largest examples I have seen were taken 
in the main course of the river, and frequently by shad fishermen 
in the spring. They are also taken in gill-nets. It is an im- 
portant and valuable food-fish of excellent quality. In life they 
vary at times in color, some much darker and others lighter, but 
always with a beautiful glistening reflection over most of the 
body. Occasionally examples have been seen with cloudings or 
with a somewhat marbled appearance. It resembles our other 
species, but may be distinguished at all times by the deeply 
emarginate tail. 

White Cat Fish. Ameiurus catus (Linneus). 
Amurus catus Jordan, An. N. Y. Acad. Sci., I, 1879, p. 118.— 
Abbott, Nat. Rambles, 1885, p. 479. 
Pimelodus albidus Le Sueur, Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, V, 
1819, p. 148. 
Amuurus albidus Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 826. 
Amiurus lynx Abbott, Rep. U. S. F. Com., 1875-76, pp. 841, 
843. 
Ameiurus natalis prosthistius (Cope). 
Cat Fish. 
Head 3°/,; depth 4%; D. I, 6; A. 1, 24; width of head 1% 
in its length; snout 224; eye 9%; width of mouth 2; interorbital 
space 2; dorsal spine 3; pectoral spine 234; pectoral fin 144; 
