324 FISHES. 



lateral line, and but an eighth or tenth further from the 

 dorsal line than the ventral; greatest depth midway of 

 body over ventrals and just in advance of dorsal; depth 

 3 in length; head strongly transversely convex, almost 

 ridged above, less narrowed downwards than in buba- 

 linus\ greatest depth of head 1-J- in its length; inter- 

 orbital space 2; eye = snout 5J in head, much smaller 

 than in bubalinus; snout scarcely projecting; no depres- 

 sion at occiput; an almost even curve from snout 

 to dorsal; head bounded by curves, therefore not trian- 

 gular, thicker, larger, and less pointed than in bubalinus" 

 mouth large, with a large and pappillose lower lip; man- 

 dible longer than eye; scales 8 41 7; fin rays D. I, 

 30; A. I, 11; dorsal not so high nor so rapidly depressed 

 as in bubalinus, the longest ray scarcely half the length 

 of the base of the fin, reaching to the 15th, the 9th ray, 

 half the height of the first; anal reaching caudal, its 

 middle rays more rounded, not so much shorter than the 

 first; pectorals as long as ventrals, both longer than anal 

 and less than head; colors very dark; fins all black. 

 Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. 



2. B. altus, Nelson. DEEP- BODIED BUFFALO. Body 

 very deep and much compressed; the back is much 

 arched and the profile descends steeply in front to end 

 of snout, not forming an angle with it as in many 

 species of Ichthyobus; depth of body 2-J in length; head 

 4 in length; greatest thickness of body 1| in length of 

 head; depth of head 1^- in its length; width 1J in 

 length; eye 5 in head, 2^- in interorbital space, which is 

 but little rounded; lateral line perfectly straight from 

 upper edge of opercle to caudal; scales 8 35 5; dor- 

 sal I. 25; A. I, 9; color in spirits, dull yellowish-olive; 

 fins dusky. Illinois. (Nelson.) 



