96 NEiW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



surface of liead pale. The fins all have a narrow dark margin. 

 Tlie specimen described (no. 18015 U. S. National Museum) is 

 4J 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 bait for black ba,ss fishing. The species occurs 

 also in the Delaware, but for some reason or other is not so 

 attractive to the black bass as the Susquehanna river race. It 

 grows to the length of 10 inches. 



The species ranges from New York to South Carolina, east 

 of the Alleghenies. 



The dorsal and caudal fins sometimes have a well defined 

 black margin, from which originated the later name, N o t u r u s 

 marginatus. This is the Pimelodus livr6e of 

 Cuvier and Valenciennes and the P. lemniscatusofLe 

 Sueur. Cuvier and Valenciennes make the following conclud- 

 ing remarks about the species: ''The species is probably vivi- 

 parous, for the eggs are very large, and contain a well developed 

 embryo. The ovary contains many eggs of which the diameter 

 exceeds 2 lines, and moreover they are taken from a small 

 animal, for our example is 3 inches long.'' 



54 Schilbeodes miurus (Jordan) 



Variegated Stone Cat 



Noturus miurus Jordan, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y. 371, 1877, Bull. 10, U. S. 



Nat. Mus. 100, figs. 60, 61, 1877; Joed an & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. 



Nat. Mus. 90, 1883. 

 Schilheodes miurus Jordan «& Evermann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 148, 



1896, pi. XXIX, fig. 68, 1900. 



Body rather stout, subterete, its greatest depth contained 

 from four and one half to five and one half times in total length 

 without caudal; least depth of caudal peduncle three fifths of 

 greatest depth of body. Head one fourth of total length with- 

 out caudal; eye one fifth the length of head, snout about two 

 sevenths; maxillary barbels reach beyond end of head; man- 

 dibulary barbel three fifths as long as the head; lower jaw 

 included. Dorsal origin over middle of pectoral, slightly nearer 

 to anal than to tip of snout, the dorsal base one half as long as 



