2788 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



202. TACHYSURUS VARIOLOSUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes), text, p. 132. 



203. TACHYSUBUS MULTIRADIATUS (Giinther), text, p. 132. 



75. CATHOROPS, Jordan & Gilbert, text, p. 133. 



204. CATHOROPS HYPOPHTHALMUS (Steindaclmer), text, p. 133. 



205. CATHOROPS GULOSUS (Eigenmann & Eigenmann), text, p. 133. 



Page 134. After Ictalurus furcatus add : 



206(a). ICTALURUS ANGUILLA, Evermaim & Kendall. 

 (EEL CAT; WILLOW CAT.) 



Head 4; depth 4^; eye 7 in head; snout 2; interorbital 1 ; maxillary 

 (without barbel) 3; free portion of maxillary barbel longer than head; 

 dorsal spine 2 in head ; pectoral spine 2 ; width of mouth 2. D.I, 6; A. 24; 

 vertebrae 42. Head large, broad, and heavy ; the mouth unusually broad ; 

 cheeks and postocular portion of top of head very prominent; interor- 

 bital space flat, a broad, deep groove extending backward to origin of 

 dorsal fin; body stout, compressed posteriorly; back scarcely elevated. 

 Eye small; maxillary barbel long, reaching considerably past gill open- 

 ing; other barbels short. Origin of dorsal fin equidistant between snout 

 and origin of adipose fin, its distance from snout 2f in length of body ; 

 base of dorsal fin 3^ in head; longest dorsal ray If in head; dorsal spine 

 strong, entire both before and behind; pectoral spine strong, entire in 

 front, a series of strong, retrorse serrre behind; humeral process 2 in 

 pectoral spine; ventrals barely reaching origin of anal, their length 2 in 

 head; anal fin long and low, the longest rays about 21. in head; base of 

 fin greater than head, 3 in body ; caudal moderately forked, the middle 

 rays about 24- in outer rays, which are about If in head. Color uniform 

 pale yellowish or olivaceous ; no spots anywhere. 



An examination of the 6 cotypes shows that there is not much variation, 

 all the important characters remaining quite constant. The maxillary 

 barbel varies somewhat in length, in some individuals scarcely reaching 

 gill opening, and the number of anal rays varies from 24 to 26. 



A comparison of the skull of this species with that of I. furcatus and of 

 /. punctatus of the same size shows a number of very marked differences. 

 Nearly all the bones in I. anguilla are heavier than in the other species ; 

 the supraoccipital is broadly triangular, and its upper surface finely 

 grooved, while in each of the other species it is much longer and narrower 

 and the upper surface nearly smooth. 



From the blue cat (Ictalurus furcatus) this species differs chiefly in the 

 fewer rays in the anal fin, the wider mouth, the shorter, heavier head, the 

 much longer maxillary barbel, and in the cranial characters already given. 

 From the spotted cat ( J. punctatus) it may be distinguished by its wider 

 mouth, more blunt snout, heavier head, the color, and the cranial charac- 

 ters already mentioned. 



