350 NOTE ON THE ASPREDINID^. 



<^Siluridce, Richardson, Enc. Brit., 8th ed., v. 12, p. 261, 1856. 



<^Aspredhndw, Adams, Man. Nat. Hist., p. 107, 18.54. 



=Asprcdinoidei, Bleeker, Ich. Arch. Indici Prod., v. 1, pp. 36, ;^27, 1858. 



= Asprcdinoidei, Bleeker, Eaum. Sp. Pisciiim Archipel. Indico, p. xxviii, 1859. 



=Aspredirioidci, Bleeker, Nederl, Tijdschr. Dierk., v. 1, p. 117, 1863; Atlas Ich. Indes 



N^crlaud., v. 2, p. 16, 1862-3. 

 <^Slluridaj, Giinther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus., v. 8, p 19, 1870. 

 —Aspredinidw, Cope, Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci., v. 20, p. 331, 1872. 

 =Jspredinida', Gill, Arrangement Fam. Fishes, p. 19, 1872. 

 <^Siluri, Fitziuger, Sitzgungsber. k. Akad. Wissensch. (Wien), B. 67, I. Abth. p. 44, 



1873. 

 = Aspredinidw, Jordan, Standard Nat. Hist., v. 3, p. 112, 1385." 

 ■^Bunocephalido', C. and R. Eigenmanu, Am. Nat. v. 22, p. 648, 1888; Rev. S. Am. 



Nematognathi, pp. 9, 12, 1890. 



The absence of an operculum has been given by late authors as char- 

 acteristic of this family. I am skeptical, however, whether the bone 

 is really wanting, and indeed the attribute is in contradiction to the 

 statement of Valenciennes, who has asserted that the bone, although 

 ve6tigiary, is present but entirely soldered to the preoperculum.t Dr. 

 Eigenmann, in a recent conversation with me, agreed that the bone 

 might perhaps be found. The species of the family in the National 

 Museum unfortunately are represented by unique specimens, and con- 

 sequently can not be dissected. It is to be hoped that an investigation 

 of the question may soon be made. 



ASPREDININiE. 



Synonyvis as suhJ'amiUj names. 



<^Siluridia, Rafinesque, Analyse de la Nature, p. 89, 1815. 



<^Anesipomes, (tribii) Latreillo Fam. Nat. Rfegne An., p. 125, 1825. 



<^Pimelodhu, Bonaparte. Nuovi Auuali d. Sci. Nat., t. 2, p. 133, 1839; t.4, p. 276, 1840. 



<^Aspredina', Swainson, Nat. Hist, and Class. Fishes, etc., v. 1, p. 332, 1838; v. 2, pp. 



189, 308, 1839. 

 <^P'melodini, Bonaparte, Cat. Metod. Pesci P^iuopei, p. 5, 1816. 

 = Aspreditn, (cohors) Bleeker, Ich. Arch. Indici Prodr., v. 1, p. 328, 1858; Ennra. sp. 



Piscium Archipel. Indico, p. xxviii, 1859. 

 —Aspredini formes, Blei-ker, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk., v. 1, p. 117, 1863; Atlas Ich. Indes 



Ncorland, v. 2, p. 18, 1862. 

 <^Silurida; Proferopodes (giou]) Aspredinina) Giinther Cat. Fishes B. M., V. 5, pp. 11, 



12, 266, 1864. 

 =Platy8tacina', C. and R. Eigenmann, Rev. S. Am. Nematognathi, pp. 9, 20, 1890. 



Genera. 



1. Aspredo (Gron.) Scopoli Int. ad Hist. Nat., p, 453, 1777— Platysyacus Bloch Aus- 

 laud. Fische, v. 8, p. 63, 1794=P/«/is^«s Raf. An. Nat., p. 89, 1815=Co<y/<?- 

 2}horus Swainson Nat. Hist. Fish., etc., v. 1, p.- 332, 1838; v. 2, p, 308, 1839. 

 Type A. Batrachns (Linn.) 



* Dr. Jordan adopted the name Platystaous instead of Aspredo. 



t Les trois pieces operculaires sont rt5duites a de simples vestiges et eutieiemeut 

 cond6es an preopercule, en sorte que la dilatation et la contraction de leurs onies ne 

 dependent que de I'arcade palato-pt^rygoidienues. Cuv. et Val., XV, 429, 1840. 



