Fishes of Upper Georgia. 371 



characters shown by my specimen are brought out in the 

 following synopsis of the described species of Noturus, drawn 

 from the type specimens of exilis, miurus, marginatus, eleu- 

 therus and leptacanthus, from numerous examples of fiavus 

 and gi/rinus, and from the published descriptions of the other 

 species. The new species or variety from the French Broad, 

 I here refer to as JV. eleutherus, in allusion to the free adipose 

 fins. 



* Pectorals with 6 to 8 soft rays ; spines stout, that of the 

 dorsal two-fifths the height of the fin, or more, 

 f Pectoral spines merely rough, not serrated, but usually 

 channelled behind ; body stout aud thick, tadpole-like. 



a. Head about 4 in length, shortish and very broad ; depth 



5 or less in length; dorsal spine nearer anal than 

 snout; adipose fin high, not notched at all ; anal fin 

 high, of about 13 rays ; barbels shortish ; spines all 

 strong ; pectoral spine straightish, half the length of 

 the head. Color nearly uniform yellowish brown, a 

 dark lateral streak. Ohio Valley, to N. Y. and Peun., 



etc gyiunus (Mit.,1818). 



ft Pectoral spines very strongly serrated behind, the lower 

 half of each being provided with 5 or more prominent 

 recurved hooks ; anterior edges finely dentate or nearly 

 smooth ; body elongated ; head flattened. 



b. Spines extremely strong ; pectoral spine curved, half or 



more length of head ; body moderately elongated, the 

 depth about 5£ in length ; head broad and flat, 3i£ in 

 length ; dorsal spine nearer anal than tip of snout ; 

 upper jaw notably longest; distance from snout to 

 dorsal more than one-third of length; dorsal spine 2 

 to 2\ in head. 

 c. Adipose fin continuous, high, interrupted by a notch, 

 which does not quite break its continuity, the rudi- 

 mentary caudal rays beginning in the notch ; anal 

 with 12 or 13 rays ; dorsal region elevated, and 

 ventral region correspondingly contracted, pro- 

 ducing a hump-backed appearance ; much mottled 

 blackish and yellowish; margins of dorsal, anal, 

 and caudal fins, and a broad patch in the middle of 

 the adipose fin, definitely black. Ohio Valley and 



S. W. miurus (Jordan, 1877). 



cc. Adipose fin high, divided to its base, a space nearly 

 twice the diameter of the eye intervening between 



June, 1877. 28 Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., Vol. xl 



