FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 17 
this length. The head is broad, the dorsal profilestraightand rather steep from tip of 
snout to dorsal fin. Eye rathersmall; barbels long. Caudal peduncle stout. Dor- 
sal I, 6; the spine strong and sharply pointed. The height of the dorsal fin equals 
one-half length of head. The anal has eighteen rays; its base is two and one-half 
times aslongas dorsal base. The pectoral fin has one sharp spine and seven rays. 
Tail truncate. Adipose fin well developed. Teeth very fine, awl-shaped and in 
broad bands. 
The small black catfish was known to De Kay as the brown catfish. 
It is found in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, the Great Lake re- 
gion, also southward to New York. The specific name is derived from 
its black color. De Kay states that it is very common in Lake Pleas- 
ant, Lake Janet and many of the other lakes in the northern districts of 
the state. 
This catfish reaches a length of one foot. Its color is usually black- 
ish or dusky brown, approaching to black, while the lower parts are 
bluish white. The fins are black, tinged with red, and the barbels are 
black. The color is subject to considerable variation. The species is 
too small to be of much value as food and its principal use in northern 
New York, according to De Kay, was to serve as bait for the lake trout. 
Genus Gronias Corr. 
‘‘Head broad, depressed. Supraoccipital bone posteriorly free. Branchiostegal 
membrane with ten rays. Anterior dorsal spine stout; posterior fin separated from 
caudal. Ventrals with eightrays. Eyes rudimental, covered bythe corium. Nata- 
tory bladder present. 
“The species has the head broader posteriorly, and the anal fin shorter than in the 
allied species of Amiurus. It may be called G. nigrilabris. The muzzle is flatand 
the jaws equal; the width across the occipital region is equal to the length from 
the end of the muzzle to the apex of the occipital crest; width below equal to the 
length from the axilla of the pectoral to the base of the ventral fin. 
“From end of muzzle to dorsal spine equal from latter to middle of adipose. 
Length of head four and one-half times in total length. Maxillary barbels extend 
three-fourths the distance to the opercular border; outer (longer) mentals scarcely 
beyond middle branchiostegal angle. Height of body at base of dorsal equal three- 
fourths length of head. End of pectoral opposite posterior border of first dorsal, its 
spinous ray serrate; ventrals not reaching anal. Basis of anal terminating a little 
behind base of adipose ; length of caudal peduncle below, equal length of pectoral 
spine. Rays: D.I-7; P. I-9; V.8; A. 18; C. 16. Spine of dorsal smooth. Caudal 
openly emarginate, the emargination much above the middle rays, giving the high- 
est a short lobate outline. Lateral line straight to scapular angle, mouth of axillary 
mucous duct distinct. Length of head 2. in. 81.; width below 2in. 21.; from muzzle 
to base of ventrals 4 in. 31.; to base of caudal 7 in. 91.; length of caudal lin. 7 1.; 
another specimen is about ten inches in length. The color of the upper surfaces, tail, 
fins, barbels and under jaw is black ; sides varied with dirty yellow, abdomen and 
thorax yellowish-white. J. Staufferinforms me that the dark pigment of the skin of 
this animal comes off upon the hands in handling it.”’ 
[Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., xvi, 1864, p. 231.] 
The cave catfish, as its name suggests, is an inhabitant of subterran- 
ean streams; it has been found only in the tributaries of Conestoga 
creek, in eastern Pennsy]vania. 
2 FISHEs. 
