'^''I'm"'! PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 349 



VIII. 

 The genera Aspredo and Platysfacus contained, besides the first species 

 made known (characterized by a long tail and anal fin), one species 

 with a short tail and analis. To the latter type Aspredo was restricted 

 by Swainson, and to the former a new name {Cotylephorus) was given. 

 The name Platysfacus was transferred to the gee us later called Cliaca, 

 but of which no species was known to Bloch. 



CONOLUSIONS; 



Various views may be taken of the questions thus indicated. Some 

 might contend that the typical species o{ Aspredo was that first made 

 known under that name. Others might claim that inasmuch as Grono- 

 vius was not a binomial author, all the species were on the same level 

 and that consequently Aspredo, adopted from Scopoli, might be re- 

 stricted to any genus represented by species comprised (by implication) 

 in his genus. Still others might urge that the species figured by Grono- 

 vius and not the Linuieau fish should be the type. I do not propose 

 to waste time by supposing and meeting the arguments that might be 

 urged. The most expedient course, it seems to me, will be to accept 

 the genus as from Scopoli, but, inasmuch as he adopted it frow Grouo- 

 vius, to take as the type a species first known to him. Gronovius, in 

 his turn, adopted the name from Linnjeus, and accordingly the Linujean 

 species may be considered as the type. We are thus led to the nomen- 

 clature of Bleeker and most modern authors, Bleeker has chosen to 

 retain the name Platystacus for a genus (probably rather a subgenus) 

 of the family, and inasmuch as he has limited the name to one of the 

 species known to Bloch, he appears to have been justified in doing so. 

 The fact that a Plotosus was figured iii the "Systema Ichthyologise" 

 as illustrative of Platystacus is not, I think, sufficient to attach the 

 name to the genus Plotosus. 



The synonymy of the family and included groups may be useful as a 

 synoptical expression of the facts detailed. 



ASPREDINIDiE. 



Syitonyms as family names. 



■COpJojihores, Dnmeril, Zool. Aual., p. 141, 1806. 



<^Siluridi, Rafinesque, Indice d'lttiolog. Siciliaua, p. 35. 



<^Oploplioria, Rafinesque, Analyse de la Nature, 17. faui., p. 89, 1815. 



<^Siluro'ide8, Cuvier, Regue Animal, [1. ed.,] t. 2, p. lyj, 1817; 2. 6d., t. 2, p. 289, 



1829. 

 <^Silui-oidei, Latreille, Earn. Nat. Regne Animal, p. 124, 1825. 

 <^Sihiriclo', Bonaparte, Giorn. Arcad. di Scieuze, v. .52, (Saggio Distrib. Metod. Auinali 



Veitebr. a Sangue Freddo, p. 37,) 1832. 

 <S(7in-(rfo', Bonaparte, Nuovi AunalidelleSci. Nat., t. 2, p. 131, 1838 ; t. 4, p. 188, 1840. 

 <^Silurid(e, Swainsou, Nat. Hist, and Class. Fishes, etc., v. 2, pp. 195,333, 1839. 

 <^Siluroidei, Miiller, Arcbiv f. Natnrgescb., 9. Jg., B. 1, p. 317, 1843. 

 <^Siluroidei, Miiller, Arcbiv f. Natnrgescb., 11. Jg., B. 1, pp. 131, 136, 1845. 

 <^Siluridw, Bonaparte, Cat. Metod. Pesci Enropei, p. 37, 1846. 

 <CSiluroidei, Kner, Sitznugsb. k. Akad. Wissenscb. (Wien), v. 42, p. 257, 1861. 



