EEPORT ON ICHTHYOLOGY. 423 



"ScJiUhcodes Bleeker.* Pinna dorsalis caudali (|naiii r;\\)\\i ai)pn)xiniata; analis 

 camlali contijiua. Cirri S." 



The diagnosis relating to the dorsal lln is erroneous. Mitehill not having men- 

 tioned the position of that fin, IJleeker must have assumed that the caudal was not 

 much more than normally extended on the dorsal region of the pediuude, and, noticing 

 the statement concerning the connnencemeut of the fin an inch behind the dorsal, was 

 thus misled. The remarks we have made on l)e Kay's allocation of the species apply 

 eqiuiUy to Bleeker's. 



The i)ublication of Rafinescpie's diagnosis of the genus Nolnnis soon succeeded 

 IMitchiU's description ol' his Silnrus ffi/rimifi. Katinesque's tirst notice of his genus is 

 to be found in volume fourth of the "American Monthly Magazine and Critical Re- 

 view". It is there said to "ditferfrom Silioiis by having the second dorsal connected 

 with the tail, or forming a single fin". The description of the single species {Notarns 

 flavus) refers oidy to tlu; color, the caudal fin, lateral line, superior length of upper jaw, 

 the barbels, and the number of rays, most of which are generic characters. Katinesque's 

 next descri[)tion occurs in his "Prodrome de soixante dix nouveaiix genres d'animaux, 

 &c.", and is substantially the same as that in the Magazine. As the Avork in which 

 the "Pi'odrome" is ])ublished is inaccessible to most American students, we add the 

 description in a note.* The name of the species is changed by Rafinesque to Notunis 

 hdeus. The genus is for the third time described by Rafinesque in the "Ichthyologia 

 Ohiensis". It is there said to "differ from the genus Plotosus of Lacepede by having 

 the anal fin free", although there is really no connection between the two genera. The 

 remainder of the description differs little from those previously noticed. The specific 

 name of Nnfurus fanis is restored to the species. 



NOTURUS OOCIDENTALIS, (ilLL. 



The greatest height is equal to nearly a sixth of the total length, and less than 

 the greatest breadth outside of the bases of the pectorals. The height of the caudal 

 peduncle behind the anal iin slightly exceeds a Umih of the length. 



The head is sul)cuneiform in ])rofile, and above ])resents an oval form; at the 

 chetdvs behind the eyes it ajjpears to be swollen. The length of the head enters less 

 than four times (0.23) in tln^ total length. The breadth at the opercula nearly equals 

 a fifth of the entire length; that between the cheeks behind the eyes is about the same. 



The distance between the eyes equals a tenth of the length, and is of nearly the 

 same extent as that Ijetween each eye and the middle of the snout. The eyes them- 

 selves are small, a diameter not nuich exceeding a seventh of the head's length. 



* Bl(i((ker'8 work not being readily accessible to American students, we extract bis remarks in Dutch, wliicb, we must 

 again remind Ibo reader, are founded on error. 



"Silnrus {^yrinus, door Mitehill en 1818 reods kortelijk doch onvoldoindo besclirevcn, konit mij voor tot de Tricho- 

 myctorini tc beboovcn. Ee rngvin schijut er sell rodert bij do stoortvin to zijn don bij den kop en de aarsvin zon en 

 zeer nabij de stoart vin eir.digen. Overigens 8 voeldroden, 7 rnj;vin en l(i aarsviustralen. Misscheen cen midden vorm 

 tusschen Trichomycterus en Nematogenys." 



* 18. NoTURUS. (Abdominal) difliircnt des geuros Sihirii.i ct I'hiulodim par nageoiro eaudale d(5currente .sur le dos 

 jusquo vi8-:\-vis I'anns, et tenant lion de deux nageoires dorsales adipeuses. X. luteits, corps conique coniprirade, tcte 

 d(^primde, 8 barlillons, machoire 8np<;rieuro plus lougue, nageoircs dorsale et pectorales, queue tronqu^e, ligne latfSralo 

 presquo droite, couleur eutiOrement jaunatre. D. 7 ; A. 14 ; 1'."; Abd. 8. C'est une petite espiice: les barbillons sout 

 disposes conime dans les Piraelodes de I'Dhio. Lo Sihinia i/yrinus do Mitehill est uno autre espOce de ce genre. 



