FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 19 

dorsal origin is ata distance from tip of snout nearly equal to one-third of total length 
without caudal. The dorsal base is one-half as long as the head. The spine is very 
sharp, and as long as the snout. The longest ray is nearly one-half as long as the 
head. The ventral origin is not far behind the end of the dorsal base ; the fin reaches 
a little beyond the vent, but not to the anal origin. The pectoral reaches to below 
the third dorsal ray ; its spine is about two-fifths as long as the head. The anal origin 
is a little nearer to base of caudal than to origin of pectoral ; the base is as long as the 
head without the snout, one-fifth of total to base of caudal, and the longest ray 
equals one-half length of head. The very low adipose dorsal begins over the anal 
origin and continues into the caudal ; in older specimens it is deeply notched. The 
caudal is rounded. D. I, 6; A. 16; V.9; P. 1,9. Length of the specimen described, 
No. 35,877, United States National Museum, six and one-fourth inches. In spirits the 
upper parts are grayish brown and the lower surface of head and body pale. In life 
the fish is nearly uniform yellowish brown. 
The yellow stone cat is found from Ontario to Virginia and in the 
Ohio valley. In the Mississippi region it extends west to Nebraska. It 
inhabits the larger streams. The species has very little value as food 
on account of its smallsize. It seldom exceeds twelve inches in length, 
but it is a very good bait for black bass. The stone cats are much 
dreaded by fishermen because of the painful wounds sometimes pro- 
duced by their pectoral spines. There is a minute pore in the axil of 
the pectoral which is the outlet of a noxious liquid secreted by a poison 
gland. When this poison is discharged into a wound it causes an ex- 
tremely painful sore. 
22. Noturus insignis Ricuarpsoy. 
The Margined Stone Catfish. (igure 26.) 
The margined stone cat has a moderately elongate and low body, its width greater 
than its depth, and the least depth of the caudal peduncle about three-fourths great- 
est depth of body. The head is rather long and depressed, one-fourth of total with- 
out caudal, the snout short and rounded. The eye is small, its length one-half width 
of interorbital space and little more than one-half length of snout. The lower jawis 
slightly shorter than the upper; the width of the mouth equals postorbital part of 
head. The width of the maxillary band of teeth equals one-third length of head; 
there is no extension backward. The maxillary barbel reaches nearly to the end of 
the head. Six short gill-rakers below the angle of the the first gill-arch. The dor- 
sal origin is about over the middle of the space between the pectoral and ventral 
origins ; the length of the dorsal base equals the distance between the eyes, and also 
the length of its spine. The longest ray is one-half as long as the head. The ven- 
tral reaches beyond the vent and almost to the anal origin, its length one-half head. 
The pectoral does not reach to the ventral origin ; its spine is one-half as long as the 
head, rough along its front edge and coarsely serrate behind. The adipose fin is lit- 
tle developed ; it begins over the anal origin, and is continuous with the caudal. 
The anal origin is nearly midway between the pectoral origin and the base of the 
caudal; the base is scarcely two-ninths of total length without caudal ; the posterior 
‘and longest rays are scarcely one-half as long as the head. The caudal is rounded. 
D.1,7; A. 17; V.10; P.I, 9. In spirits the upper parts are dark brown, the belly 
and under surface of head pale. The fins all have a narrow dark margin. The 
specimen described, No. 18,015, United States National Museum, is four and one-half 
inches long. ~ 
This species, like the others of its genus, is called stone cat, and it is 
very common in the Susquehanna, where it is highly prized as a live 
